Freeman, James W., House
Why it's listed
Set along a red clay road amid fields of tobacco, corn and soybeans near Wilton, this small weatherboarded house was built in the 1820s or 1830s by an unknown builder. It rises one story and a loft on a traditional hall-parlor plan, with mortised and tenoned timber framing. Its east end has a Flemish bond shoulder chimney, and the parlor has a transitional Georgian/Federal mantel, hand-planed board walls and a ceiling of smoothly planed, beaded beams. James W. Freeman bought the house and 150 acres in 1845 for $650. Census records show him as a modest farmer who owned one enslaved girl. The house was sold out of the family in 1892 and later served mainly as a tenant house. It is valued as the most intact surviving dwelling of the county's yeoman farmers and small planters, showing that well-finished homes were not limited to wealthy planters. The nominated tract covers about 32 acres of the house and surrounding fields.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1820s/1830s-1865 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Transitional Georgian/Federal |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Acreage | 32 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Freeman, James W., House (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.