Bonner House
Also known as: See Also:Bath Historic District
Why it's listed
Bonner House is a two-story frame dwelling on Front Street in Bath, the oldest town in North Carolina. It has molded weatherboarding, a brick pier foundation, gable roofs covered with shakes, and shed porches on the front and rear. A one-story wing extends to the east. Inside, a side-hall plan includes a large parlor, a quarter-turn stair with wave-pattern brackets, and Adam-style mantels with elliptical sunbursts, pierced geometric patterns and dentils. Wood graining decorates the baseboards, doors and upstairs newel post. Deed records suggest the lot was vacant by 1830, when Joseph Bonner bought it, and he was recorded as a resident by 1840, so the house was probably built in those years. The Bonner family kept it until the 1950s, when it was acquired for inclusion in Historic Bath. The property was listed for its architecture. The lot also has an earlier connection to John Lawson, the surveyor and explorer who helped found the town and was killed in 1711.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as an excellent example of early nineteenth century Carolina architecture, with Adam-style mantels and a side-hall plan. The lot is also noted for its early owner John Lawson, the surveyor and historian who helped found Bath.
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 70000438, listed February 26, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Front St., Bath |
|---|---|
| County | Beaufort County |
| Listed | February 26, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000438 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1830-1840 |
| Architectural style | Early nineteenth century Carolina architecture with Adam-style mantels |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition, unaltered, on its original site, and used as a museum; the form checks the status as unoccupied. It is owned by the State Department of Archives and History as part of Historic Bath. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Within district | Bath Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.47238, -76.81328 (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 70000438.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4942188
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.