North Washington District
Why it's listed
North Washington District is a residential neighborhood of roughly 126 acres in Washington, Georgia, arranged along Alexander Avenue. It is anchored by two houses that represent different eras: the Federal style Gilbert-Alexander House, begun in 1808 on part of the original Gilbert plantation, and the Cedars, whose Victorian front portion was added after 1883 to an older home built by Dr. Anthony Poullain, a Revolutionary War surgeon. Both houses were nominated separately as well. Other buildings include the 1897 Washington Public School, with its tower and round arches, the Barksdale-Thomas house with its 1909 Ionic portico, the former Female Academy of 1857 now the Gaines house, and the 1830s William Wynne House, where the first Catholic mass in Washington was celebrated in 1839. The area's land came from two large plantations, the Wingfield and Gilbert holdings. Heavy plantings soften differences in scale and style among its ante-bellum, Victorian and later homes.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is significant for architecture and local history. Its two dominant houses, the Federal style Gilbert-Alexander House and the High Victorian Cedars, represent contrasting architectural periods. The district also preserves land from two early plantations and ties to the town's educational and religious 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 73000649, listed March 7, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded by Jefferson and Court Sts., Poplar Dr., and U.S. 78, Washington |
|---|---|
| County | Wilkes County |
| Listed | March 7, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000649 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c. 1790-1910 |
| Architectural style | Federal, High Victorian (Queen Anne and Romanesque revival influences), Colonial and Classic Revival, plantation-plain |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked good and unaltered; the 1897 Washington Public School is described as abandoned, while most other buildings are private residences. |
| Acreage | 126 |
| Within district | Washington Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.74457, -82.73931 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 73000649.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.