{"nrhp_refnum":"73001317","name":"Wessington House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"120 W. King St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Edenton","county":"Chowan County","state":"NC","lat":36.05765810100007,"lon":-76.60994967799996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1973-03-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Wessington House is a two-and-a-half-story brick residence on a large landscaped lot in Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, set on a full raised basement with a deck-on-hip roof. It was built for Dr. Thomas Warren beginning in the early 1850s, using a design from William Ranlett's published pattern book.","why_significant":"The nomination describes the house as an exceptionally fine example of a type unique in North Carolina, with an elaborate double porch, exquisite ironwork, and richly finished interiors. Its architecture is treated as the main basis for significance, with the 19th-century period and the Warren family's ownership forming the historical context.","narrative":"Wessington House stands on a large, carefully landscaped lot in Edenton, a two-and-a-half-story brick residence built over a full raised basement under a deck-on-hip roof. Its walls were originally stuccoed, and the removal of that coating left a greenish tint over the pink brick, so the color shifts with the light. The main south facade has a double porch with fluted posts, wrought iron railings and lanterns, and a central entrance set in a segmental arch flanked by engaged Corinthian columns. Side balconies run the full length of both levels. Inside, a fifty-foot center hall leads to parlors and rooms with plaster cove cornices, diamond-shaped ceiling medallions, and white marble mantels. Dr. Thomas Warren acquired the lots in 1850 and built the house from a design in William Ranlett's pattern book, published in 1847. Its architecture is considered exceptional for North Carolina, which explains its listing.","period_of_significance":"1851-1854","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["C"],"status_note":null,"vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:41.083032-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/5/7196/47719605/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/73001317.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73001317/fadfd6564d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73001317/fadfd6564d-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wessington_House,_Edenton.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wessington_House,_Edenton.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"73001316","name":"Edenton Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/north-carolina/edenton-historic-district-73001316/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47719605","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wessington_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18378535"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/chowan-county/wessington-house-73001317/"}