Lore, Seth and Irwinton Historic District (Boundary Increase)

The land which lies within the boundaries of the Seth Lore and Irwinton Historic District can generally be described as gently rolling terrain varying in elevation from approxi­mately 250 to 350 feet above mean sea level. The land lies above the Chattahoochee River and slopes continually upward to the west. The district is composed of approximately 600 acres which Include the original town plan of Irwinton (renamed Eufaula in 1843), and the
city's largest concentration of early surviving commercial, Industrial and domestic architecture. It reflects the local patterns of the town beginning as early as 1836 with the Plan of Irwinton and extends through 1936.

The Seth Lore and Irwinton Historic District contains 942 properties (total adjusted to compensate for one double entry in the inventory) with six churches, including the state's oldest High Gothic First Presbyterian Church building the Central Business District, three school buildings, two cemeteries, and a number of residences and neighborhood-based businesses. Of the 942 properties 738 are of architectural or histori­cal significance, and fall within the period of significance of the district. A small percentage of these contributing structures (21.8%) have reversible alterations—such as the application of aluminum siding—that should be removed.

Encompassing the 19th century nucleus of Eufaula, the district contains an especially heavy concentration of buildings erected during the five decades between 1870 and 1920. Within the boundaries lie the Central Business District (CBD) which is located east of Eufaula Avenue and stretches north to Church Place and south to Barbour Street. Contained herein is one of the state's most coherent collections of intact, mld-to-late 19th century small-town commercial structures, including a relatively rare example of a small-town Second Empire building, and a fine mid-century cast iron-front bank building. Also represented within the CBD are some fine examples of Italianate,
Renaissance Revival, and other forms of more typical commercial architecture.

Exemplified throughout the remaining portions of the district are some fine examples of Greek Revival cottages, the state's most extensive collection of domestic Italianate architecture Including several exceptional examples of symmetrical-type Italianate Villas, Queen Annes, Folk Victorians, Neoclassical Revivals, French Second Empires, Craftsman/ Bungalow, and a number of vernacular types, most of which fall along the line of Folk National forms or two rooms with central chimney houses.