Ritch-Carter-Martin House
Why it's listed
Built about 1915 on a corner lot in the railroad town of Odum, this two-story wood-frame house was commissioned by James Colquitt Ritch, a farmer and businessman, and constructed by local builder Paul Edward McCall. It follows the Georgian House plan, with a central hall and two rooms on each side, and is dressed in Neoclassical Revival style. Its full-height entry porch and lower full-width porch rest on slender, round, one-story columns with Tuscan capitals, a variation the nomination calls rare. Other details include a hipped roof, a decorative shingle pediment, and a brick pier foundation. It is the last surviving two-story Neoclassical Revival residence in Odum. From the 1930s, the owner rented upstairs rooms to teachers, highway workers, newlyweds and others, and the house worked as a boarding house into the 1970s. The telephone exchange was also kept in rear rooms from the mid-1930s to 1965. The house is recognized for its architecture and its role in local commerce.
Significance in brief: The house is a Georgian House-type residence in the Neoclassical Revival style, and it is the last surviving two-story Neoclassical Revival residence in Odum. Its full-height entry porch with a lower full-width porch uses slender one-story columns instead of the usual colossal columns, which the form calls rare. It is also significant in commerce as a boarding house from the 1930s, the last property in Odum associated with boarding houses.
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 98001484, listed December 10, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of US 341, GA 27, and Tillman St., Odum |
|---|---|
| County | Wayne County |
| Listed | December 10, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98001484 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1915 to 1948 |
| Architect / builder | Paul Edward McCall builder. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Neoclassical Revival; Other/Georgian House |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a private property still in use as a single dwelling. The form lists four contributing resources (three buildings and the landscape) and one noncontributing carport. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Coordinates | 31.66399, -82.02544 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 98001484.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q28450540
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.