848 Peachtree St NE
Atlanta, GA, USA

National Register of Historic Places - William G. Raoul House

Statement of Significance:

The W.G. Raoul House is one of the few remaining residences along Peachtree Street, a street once lined with late 19th and early 20th century houses. Most of these houses have been demolished as Atlanta's commercial center grew north along the topographical ridge of Peachtree Street. Many of these houses were associated with the most prominent families of 19th century Atlanta. The W.G. Raoul House is also significant as a very good example of the Queen Anne style of architecture, due to its irregular massing, interior arrangement, detailing and eclectic use of materials such as slate, brick and shingles. In architecture, the property is significant as a rare surviving collection of residential buildings along Atlanta's Peachtree Street. It is an example of the work of architect Bradford Gilbert (1853-1911), who designed not only the buildings, but also the interior decorative elements such as woodwork and some furnishings. Gilbert was one of the best-known architects of New York and designed early high-rise buildings, of which the "Flatiron" building is one. He was consultant to a number of railroad companies and worked on an early remodeling of Grand Central Station. Gilbert was the supervising architect for the Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta in 1895. The property is significant in educational history because of its association with Mrs. Mary Raoul, who initiated and promoted the idea of kindergartens in Atlanta, with one of the first bearing her name. Her daughter, Agnes Raoul Glenn, was an active force in establishing the Atlanta PTA. Both the children and the parents were important for social/humanitarian reasons, with two of the children becoming affiliated with the Socialist Party. Eleonore Raoul was a leading organizer of the Women's Suffrage Movement, helped organize the Atlanta League of Women Voters, and served as its President from 1922-1930. Mr. Raoul established the W.G. Raoul Foundation to combat tuberculosis, and both Mr. and Mrs. Raoul were on the board for the International and Cotton States Exposition. The house was a social hub and was the scene for elaborate parties. Prominent performers and visitors such as William Jennings Bryan stayed with the Raouls when in Atlanta. Mr. Raoul was prominent in transportation, supervising the construction of railways in the South and Mexico and serving as President of several railroad companies, including the Central of Georgia, Georgia's largest, and the Mexican National Railroad.

These areas of significance support the property's eligibility under National Register Criteria B and C. The property meets National Register Criteria B for its association with the Raoul family, whose members played important roles in education, social/humanitarian and transportation within the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia. The property meets National Register Criteria C because it is an exceptional, rare and fine example of Queen Anne architecture in Atlanta and because it represents a very rare surviving domestic complex which consists of the main house, servants’ quarters and carriage house.