Jim Smith House
house in Toombs County, Georgia
The Jim Smith House near Lyons, Georgia is a two-story wood-framed house with vernacular Greek Revival style that was built c.1860. It was home of successful farmer James Henry (Jim) Smith (1828–1899) who owned up to 4,100 acres (1,700 ha) plus a sawmill and a gristmill. The house has a two-story full-length porch supported by six square wooden columns.
In 1984 the house was moved about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from its original location to avoid demolition. The new location was historically owned by Smith and is similar to the original location. It was then renovated and a rear wing was added.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
The public source identifies “Jim Smith House” as house in Toombs County, Georgia. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Smith, House and house.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Jim Smith House”, the useful work is to connect “house in Toombs County, Georgia” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q29093762. Authority coordinates are 32.017, -82.252. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1860, 1828, 1899 and 1984.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Jim Smith House” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.