Bissette-Cooley House
Why it's listed
Commanding the head of Washington Street in Nashville, this large white-columned frame house was completed in 1911 for George N. Bissette, a self-made merchant who expanded into cotton ginning and real estate. Its design is attributed to Rocky Mount architect John C. Stout. A full-height pedimented portico with Ionic columns overlaps a curving wraparound veranda with Tuscan columns, and the interior has a central hall plan with a three-run staircase. Harold Dunbar Cooley bought the house in 1945 and added Federal style details around 1950. Cooley represented the Fourth Congressional District from 1934 to 1966 and chaired the House Agriculture Committee from 1949, the longest tenure in congressional history. His family lived in the house until 1981. The property is significant both as a polished example of early twentieth-century Neoclassical Revival design and for its link to these two prominent figures. It is now being renovated as offices.
Significance in brief: The house is a textbook example of early Neoclassical Revival architecture, attributed to Rocky Mount architect John C. Stout. It is also associated with George N. Bissette, a leading Nashville businessman and civic figure, and with Harold Dunbar Cooley, long-time U.S. Representative and House Agriculture Committee chairman, whose family lived there until 1981.
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 85002414, listed September 19, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N. First & E. Washington Sts., Nashville |
|---|---|
| County | Nash County |
| Listed | September 19, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002414 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | John C. Stout (attributed) |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Undergoing extensive renovation for conversion to offices, following the Secretary of the Interior's standards; a two-story rear wing is being added. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Within district | Nashville Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.97454, -77.96550 (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 85002414.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460538
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.