Holt, Charles T., House
Why it's listed
Overlooking the Granite Mills complex in Haw River, this Queen Anne mansion was completed in 1897 for textile businessman Charles T. Holt and his wife, Gena Jones Holt. Barber of Knoxville, Tennessee, George Franklin Barber, designed it, and James R. Montgomery of Alamance County built it. Peaks, turrets, decorative chimneys, a wraparound porch and a mix of wood, slate, brick and stone give the exterior its irregular, richly detailed look. Inside, the nine ornate mantels, tiled fireplaces, beveled glass and original gas fixtures survive with no notable alteration. Six outbuildings, including a carriage house, servants quarters, gas house, barn and well house, remain in their original locations. The house is significant as one of North Carolina's finest intact Queen Anne mansions and as a reminder of the Holt family, whose textile enterprises began with Edwin Michael Holt's cotton mill and grew into one of the South's leading producers. The Holts owned it only briefly, and the Long family has kept it since 1908.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the finest surviving intact Queen Anne mansions in North Carolina, designed by prominent architect George Franklin Barber. It also represents a wealthy class whose fortunes came from industry rather than land, and it is tied to the Holt family, pioneers of the textile industry in Alamance County and the South.
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 82003421, listed June 1, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 228 Holt St., Haw River |
|---|---|
| County | Alamance County |
| Listed | June 1, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003421 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | George Franklin Barber, architect; James R. Montgomery, builder |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence; described as remarkably well preserved and maintained, with little alteration to the house or outbuildings. |
| Acreage | 29.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.08663, -79.36895 (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 82003421.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17560882
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.