Wrightsville and Tennille Railroad Company Building
Why it's listed
Completed in 1903, this two-story brick building at 119 Central Avenue in Tennille served as the operational headquarters of the Wrightsville and Tennille Railroad, a short line linking Tennille through Wrightsville to the Central of Georgia Railroad at Dublin. Architect Charles E. Choate designed it, apparently with drawing help from draftsman Cyril B. Smith. Its multicolored beige and red brick facade features paneled pilasters, stone quoins, dentil molding and a stone balustrade along the cornice. Inside, a central hall, beaded wainscoting, bull's-eye door molding and a vault marked with the railroad's name survive. It is the only Beaux Arts design among Choate's Washington County work, most of which was houses. The railroad left for Dublin by the mid-1920s. The building later housed a temporary school, an American Legion post and a family, then storage, and has since been converted to a home. It was listed for its architectural merit as a local landmark.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent example of Beaux Arts architecture applied to a small-town office building and the only example of that style among Choate's work in Washington County. Its height, ornament and freestanding corner location make it a downtown landmark. It also has ties to the area's railroad-driven economic history.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 94000718, listed July 28, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 119 Central Ave., Tennille |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | July 28, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000718 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1903 |
| Architect / builder | Charles E. Choate, architect; Cyril B. Smith, architect |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: Beaux Arts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted into a home after earlier use as a railroad office, temporary school, American Legion meeting place and storage; currently used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.93499, -82.81262 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 94000718.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16999462
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.