Rosedale
Also known as: Wharton House
Why it's listed
Rosedale is a large frame plantation house standing in a grove of live oaks about four miles west of Washington, North Carolina. Probably built soon after 1854, it was the home of David Bradley Perry, who by 1860 held 2,700 acres and 99 slaves. After the Civil War his son-in-law, Col. Rufus Watson Wharton, restored the farm's productivity and raised around a hundred bales of cotton a year. Wharton's daughter and her husband, U.S. Senator John H. Small, later leased the property to tenants. The three-bay, center-hall house pairs Italianate exterior brackets and decorative chimneys with Greek Revival interior trim, and it has a prominent stair with an octagonal newel. It was never given plumbing or wiring. Though worn and long unoccupied, it remains structurally sound and largely as built. It is considered the best surviving example of its type in Beaufort County outside Washington, and the grounds may hold archeological remains of household life.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls Rosedale a rare surviving example of the antebellum plantation mansion in eastern North Carolina, and the only large plantation dwelling in the area dating from the prosperous decade before the Civil War. It combines Italianate exterior trim with Greek Revival interiors. It is also tied to planter David B. Perry, Col. Rufus Watson Wharton, and U.S. Senator John H. Small.
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 82003424, listed April 29, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Washington off SR 1407, Washington |
|---|---|
| County | Beaufort County |
| Listed | April 29, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003424 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Italianate and Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as deteriorated but intact and structurally sound; not inhabited for over twenty years, with storage listed as a present use, and never fitted with plumbing or wiring. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 35.59677, -77.07964 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 82003424.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18157533
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.