Griffis-Patton House
Why it's listed
Built in 1839-1840 near Quaker Creek and the Haw River, this two-story, five-bay brick house was one of the first in Alamance County made entirely of brick, a costly material in the antebellum period. It has an L-shaped plan, a front porch with rounded brick columns, and a center-hall interior with Greek Revival surrounds, paneled doors and four original mantels. It was built for William P. Griffis and his bride, Mary Robbins, on land his father began assembling in 1795. Griffis was a carpenter and may have done much of the finish work himself. The Griffis family left for Texas around 1859, and the house served as rental property until the Patton family bought it in 1916. The Pattons and their descendants lived there until 1982. The house is regarded as the county's most intact antebellum brick plantation seat and as a fine example of vernacular craftsmanship, despite modest changes made in 1942.
Significance in brief: It is one of the county's few antebellum brick plantation houses and the most intact of them. Its five-bay front and two-story rear ell set it above the more usual three-bay brick houses of the Piedmont. It is also tied to two locally prominent families, the Griffis and Patton families, and its transitional Federal/Greek Revival woodwork is the work of a skilled vernacular craftsman.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83001835, listed March 17, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Melbane on SR 1927, Mebane |
|---|---|
| County | Alamance County |
| Listed | March 17, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001835 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1839-1840 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (possibly William P. Griffis, a carpenter, as builder of the woodwork) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (with transitional Federal/Greek Revival woodwork) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence; good condition. Alterations made in 1942 include a carport, a kitchen and bath replacing the rear porch, and the loss of two mantels. |
| Acreage | 10.2 |
| Coordinates | 36.11816, -79.31736 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83001835.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17560865
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.