Pharr-Callaway-Sethness House
Also known as: Old Pharr Place
Why it's listed
Located about 2½ miles north of Tignall in Wilkes County, Georgia, this two-story farmhouse was made by joining two earlier buildings, probably built in the 1820s and moved to the site in 1860. Hand-split lath points to a date before 1830 for the originals. The joining in 1860-1861 gave the house a unified Greek Revival look, with a symmetrical front, a transomed double-door entry with sidelights, a central hall plan and matching windows. John L. Wynn probably arranged the work to provide his daughter Mary with a home soon after her marriage to Abram J. Pharr in June 1860. Pharr died in Virginia in 1863. Mary later remarried, and the property passed to Pharr's son's widow, Mamie, who later married Richard D. Callaway. Several outbuildings stand close by, including a smoke house that may be the oldest. The house has not been lived in by its owner for decades and has deteriorated. The current owners planned to restore it to its 1861 condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant mainly because it resulted from the careful joining of two earlier houses. John L. Wynn probably did this to give his daughter Mary a home quickly after her 1860 marriage to Abram J. Pharr. The builders took care to unify the house visually and structurally, and the property carries the history of the Pharr, Walton and Callaway families.
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 76000659, listed March 26, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of Tignall on GA 2193, Tignall |
|---|---|
| County | Wilkes County |
| Listed | March 26, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000659 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival features on a plantation plain style plan |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked unoccupied with work in progress; in worsening condition, with owners intending to restore it to its 1861 appearance. |
| Acreage | 131 |
| Coordinates | 33.93734, -82.73654 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 76000659.
- 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.