Moore-Holt-White House
Why it's listed
Built in 1859 at the railroad town of Company Shops, later Burlington, this two-story frame house is a vernacular Greek Revival dwelling of the North Carolina piedmont. It has a shallow hipped roof, curved brackets under deep eaves, a center hall plan and a one-story rear wing. James G. Moore, a storekeeper and contractor who supplied materials, labor and provisions to the North Carolina Railroad Company, built it with special permission on company land. Later owners included textile leader Lawrence S. Holt, who bought it in 1883, and his son Eugene, who each moved it to make way for a larger new house. In 1909 it went to Maple Avenue, and Robert D. White's family owned it from 1910 to 1937, adding plumbing, electricity and a new porch design. It is among the few antebellum houses left in Burlington and the only one of its style. After a threatened demolition in 1983, the city bought it for rehabilitation.
Significance in brief: It is one of the few surviving antebellum houses in Burlington and the only example there of the vernacular Greek Revival style of the North Carolina piedmont. It is also linked to James G. Moore, an early contractor and merchant at Company Shops, and to Lawrence S. and Eugene Holt, leaders of Burlington's textile industry.
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 84001924, listed May 31, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 520 Maple ave., Burlington |
|---|---|
| County | Alamance County |
| Listed | May 31, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001924 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built by James G. Moore) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Industry, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Deteriorated after use as rental property since 1937; the City of Burlington bought it in 1983 and was rehabilitating it, planning to rent or resell it. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.08866, -79.43475 (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 84001924.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17560842
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.