South Washington Street Historic District

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

From the record

One of 37 National Register listings published here for Habersham County · listed in 1982 · category: District.

Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

Address. S. Washington St. between Laurel Dr. and Spring St., Clarkesville, 30523
When was it listed? August 1982
Category. district
Also known as. Clarkesville MRA
Census division. Clarkesville
National Register reference number. 82002443 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

262 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 262 fires within 5 miles of South Washington Street Historic District between 1992 and 2020, burning about 412 acres in total. 6 started naturally. 26 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Debris and open burning	179
Arson/incendiarism	26
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	19
Equipment and vehicle use	11
Misuse of fire by a minor	8
Recreation and ceremony	6
Natural	6
Smoking	5
Railroad operations and maintenance	2

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
8 September 1997	Smoking	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
7 September 2019	Debris and open burning	7.8 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	FY2020HABERSHAM001
6 September 1997	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
25 September 1998	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
25 September 1993	Arson/incendiarism	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
18 September 1997	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
12 September 1998	Debris and open burning	1.9 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
10 September 1999	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named

Every fire recorded in Habersham County

Mines and quarries near this property

8 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of South Washington Street Historic District: 6 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Gold, Iron, Kyanite. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
Clarksville District Kyn Occurrence	Kyanite	Past Producer	1932
Piedmont College Farm	Iron	Past Producer	Residual
C.T. Willbanks	Gold	Past Producer	Vein
H. Woods	Gold	Past Producer	Stream Placer
Habersham Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer
Habersham Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Nichols Placer	Gold	Past Producer	Stream Placer
Stamborough Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer

Every working recorded in Habersham County

Storms near this property

60 of 69 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Clarkesville, the town this property stands in, in 69 storm reports between 1996 and 2024: 25 thunderstorm wind, 21 hail, 11 flood, 10 flash flood. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
July 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	2 hurt	no account filed
August 2000	Lightning	Clarkesville	$1,000,000	no account filed
October 2020	Flash Flood	Clarkesville	$200,000	Stream gauges and emergency manager reported flash flooding developed along the Soque and Chattahoochee River basins after 6 to 7 inches of rain fell in around 24 hours. Multiple roads along the Soque and its tributaries were heavily inundated or washed out, especially close to the White County line. These included Duncan Bridge Rd, Paradise Park Rd, Cross Creek Trail, Soque Trail, and Falling Water Dr. Additionally, a home was inundated on River Way, where the occupants required rescue.
August 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	$50,000	Numerous trees down, possibly hundreds, from just west of Clarkesville to the Mud Creek area. Several trees fell on homes.
February 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	$20,000	County comms reported a tree blown down on a house on View St.
October 2020	Flood	Clarkesville	$10,000	Although rain tapered off across Habersham County during the morning hours, flooding continued along the Soque River into the early afternoon as runoff from the 6 to 7 inches of rain that fell across the basin in around 24 hours continued to flow through the basin. Multiple roads remained inundated or damaged and closed during this time.
August 2005	Flash Flood	Clarkesville	$10,000	Numerous roads closed due to flooding along creeks and streams. Several vehicles became stalled in flood waters. Closed/flooded roads included highway 17, Chase Rd, Savanna Rd, Wilson Rd, and Airport Rd. A guardrail was washed away on Habersham Mills Rd. A spotter in Clarkesville reported 6.5 inches of rain in less than 24 hrs.
July 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	$10,000	Trees were blown down and a house was damaged near the Stephens County line.
September 2024	Flash Flood	Clarkesville	$5,000	A stream gauge on the Soque River in Clarkesville exceeded its established flood stage after 7 to 10 inches of rain fell throughout the basin over a couple of days. Pitts Park in Clarkesville and other low spots were inundated.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	$5,000	County comms reported multiple trees blown down, with part of the roof blown off a commercial building in downtown Clarkesvile. A spotter reported additional trees blown down off Highway 197 just south of town.
September 2024	Flood	Clarkesville	$2,000	Although heavy rain ended across Habersham County by afternoon, high water conditions continued along the Soque River into the evening hours.
September 2024	Tornado (EF0)	Clarkesville	$2,000	NWS analysis determined that a weak tornado touched down near the Annandale subdivision. A few trees were blown downed along an intermittent path and an outbuilding was destroyed at a sod farm.
January 2024	Flood	Clarkesville	$1,000	A stream gauge on the Soque River in Clarkesville exceeded its established flood stage after 3 to 5 inches of rain fell throughout the basin in 12 to 18 hours. Pitts Park in Clarkesville was inundated.
March 2021	Flood	Clarkesville	$1,000	A stream gauge on the Soque River in Clarkesville exceeded its established flood stage after 4 to 7 inches of rain fell throughout the basin, mostly in about 12 hours from the 25th into the early part of the 6th. Pitts Park in Clarkesville was flooded.
August 2021	Flood	Clarkesville	$1,000	A stream gauge on the Soque River in Clarkesville exceeded its established flood stage after 3 to 5 inches of rain fell throughout the basin, mostly in about 24 hours. Pitts Park in Clarkesville was inundated.
July 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	$1,000	Trees and powerlines were blown down. A fence was also blown down.
October 2021	Flood	Clarkesville	$500	A gauge on the Soque River in Clarkesville exceeded its established flood stage after 3 to 4 inches fell throughout the basin in about a 24-hour period. The main impact was flooding of Pitts Park.
February 2020	Flood	Clarkesville	$500	Although heavy rain began tapering off across northeast Georgia during the afternoon and evening, a stream gauge on the Soque River in Clarkesville indicated continued flooding along the river through the evening. This indicated flooding of Pitts Park along with multiple roads along the river and some of its tributaries.
February 2020	Flash Flood	Clarkesville	$500	A stream gauge on the Soque River in Clarkesville exceeded its established flood stage after 3 to 5 inches of rain fell in the basin in less than 18 hours, with the bulk of that falling in about a 6-hour period during the morning of the 6th. Pitts Park in Clarkesville was flooded, as were multiple roads along the river and some of its tributaries.
April 2019	Flood	Clarkesville	$500	Although heavy rainfall ended across Habersham County during the afternoon, flooding continued along the Soque River in Clarkesville through the evening. The main impact was flooding of Pitts Park.
April 2019	Flash Flood	Clarkesville	$500	A gauge on the Soque River in Clarkesville exceeded its established flood stage after 4 to 5 inches of rain fell throughout the basin, with most of that falling in around 6 hours. The main impact was flooding of Pitts Park.
December 2018	Flood	Clarkesville	$500	A stream gauge on the Soque River in Clarkesville exceeded its established flood stage after 4 to 5 inches of rain fell in the basin in about 24 hours. Pitts Park in Clarkesville was flooded, while county comms reported closure of West Water St and Habersham Mill Rd due nto flood water from the Soque or its tributaries.
November 2018	Flood	Clarkesville	$500	A gauge on the Soquee River in Clarkesville exceeded its established flood stage after 3 to 3.5 inches fell throughout the basin in about a 12-hour period. The main impact was flooding of Pitts Park.
March 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	$500	A privacy fence was blown down at a residence.
June 2023	Hail	Clarkesville	-	Public reported quarter size reports at Ellison St and Roper Dr.
July 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	Over a dozen large trees were blown down to the northwest of Clarkesville.
March 2011	Flash Flood	Clarkesville	-	The Soque River left its banks, flooding roads, trails, and some buildings at Pitts Park.
March 2011	Flood	Clarkesville	-	Although heavy rain began to taper off during the late morning, high water conditions persisted along the Soque River near Clarkesville through the afternoon.
March 2011	Flash Flood	Clarkesville	-	For the second time in three days, heavy rain resulted in flash flooding along the Soque River near Clarkesville. Roads, trails and some buildings in Pitts Park were flooded when the river left its banks.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	The awning was blown off a restaurant on highway 441, about a mile north of Demorest. Also, a large tree was uprooted on Demorest-Mt. Airy highway and a very large limb was snapped on Thomas St in Cornelia.
March 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	Widespread damage to trees and power lines across the county.
June 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	Trees blown down.
July 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	Several 3 to 4 inch diameter tree limbs blown down.
April 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	The tin roof was peeled off a produce stand on highway 115, 1.5 miles northwest of Clarkesville, and the roof off of a strip mall on highway 197 1 mile south southeast of town. Other tree damage was reported throughout the city area, including 2 large trees down on Water St.
April 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	Several trees were blown down along New Liberty Rd.
May 2006	Hail	Clarkesville	-	Nickel size hail at Allendale State Prison near Alto.
July 2005	Flash Flood	Clarkesville	-	Flooding of Daisy Creek in Clarkesville, with Daisy Creek Rd under water. Several streets were also flooded due to poor drainage in Clarkesville and Demorest.
June 2004	Flash Flood	Clarkesville	-	Several creeks overflowed their banks, flooding a few roads.
August 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
September 2004	Flash Flood	Clarkesville	-	Flash flooding developed across the county as the outermost rain bands associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ivan produced intense rainfall rates. A few streams overflowed their banks and flooded adjacent roads.
June 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	Several trees were blown down.
July 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	Trees were blown down across the county.
November 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	A few trees were blown down.
June 2001	Hail	Clarkesville	-	Spotter reported quarter-sized hail.
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	Roof torn off an office building, with numerous trees down across the city. Dime-sized hail also reported.
August 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	Trees and power lines blown down at various locations across the county.
July 2013	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
May 2012	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
March 2010	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
April 2006	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
May 2006	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
July 2003	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
May 2003	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
June 2001	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
July 1999	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
May 1998	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
May 1998	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
May 1998	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
June 1998	Hail	Clarkesville	-	no account filed
April 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Clarkesville	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Habersham County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Robert McMillan House	0.2 miles	1982
McMillan-Garrison House	0.2 miles	1982
Washington-Jefferson Street Historic District	0.4 miles	1982
J. A. Lewis House	0.4 miles	1982
A. P. Hill House	0.5 miles	1982
Church, Cornelius, House	0.5 miles	1982

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 82002443 in Record Group 79.
Habersham County	All 37 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.