{"nrhp_refnum":"71000612","name":"Ruffin-Roulhac House","other_names":["Little Hawfields"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Churton and Orange Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Hillsborough","county":"Orange County","state":"NC","lat":36.08191563500003,"lon":-79.09906053399999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1971-08-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government","Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A frame dwelling at the northeast corner of Churton and Orange Streets in Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina, built about 1820 by Martin Hanks and enlarged about 1830. Also known as Little Hawfields.","why_significant":"The house is presented as a valuable example of the transition from Federal to Greek Revival architecture in North Carolina, and one of the earliest known state dwellings with sophisticated Greek Revival motifs. It is also significant as the home of two prominent men: Francis L. Hawks, who turned from law to theology while living there, and jurist Thomas Ruffin, who lived there after retirement.","narrative":"Standing at the corner of Churton and Orange Streets in Hillsborough, this frame house was begun about 1820 by Martin Hanks as a one-and-a-half-story dwelling. About 1830 Frances Blount added two rooms on the east side, creating the present center-passage plan. Molded weatherboards cover the walls, and the interior blends Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian details, including a wide hall with high wainscot and a Federal-style stair. Behind the house are frame outbuildings, including an office, meat house and slave quarters, plus a ruined carriage house. The property is notable architecturally as an early North Carolina example of the shift from Federal to Greek Revival style. It also has strong personal associations: Francis L. Hawks lived here while moving from law to the ministry, and Judge Thomas Ruffin, who called the house Little Hawfields, lived here after the Civil War. At nomination, the house was unused and the town planned to restore it for offices.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Martin Hanks (built ca. 1820); Frances Blount (1830 addition)","architectural_style":"Federal and Greek Revival transition","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as in fair condition, altered, and not in use at the time of nomination; the town of Hillsborough was negotiating to buy it and planned restoration for city government offices.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:58:58.526103-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/54/7216/47721654/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/71000612.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000612/5796e0c040-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000612/5796e0c040-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Archie A. Biggs, Photographer","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ruffin_House,_Churton_%26_Orange_Streets,_Hillsborough_vicinity_(Orange_County,_North_Carolina).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Archie A. Biggs, Photographer</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ruffin_House,_Churton_%26_Orange_Streets,_Hillsborough_vicinity_(Orange_County,_North_Carolina).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47721654","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffin-Roulhac_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19817708"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/orange-county/ruffin-roulhac-house-71000612/"}