Ashland
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Ashland is a circa 1840 plantation house on NC 45 in Bertie County, North Carolina, set back from the road amid agricultural fields. It is a two-story, five-bay, single-pile frame house with a rear ell, weatherboard siding, a standing-seam tin roof and three brick end chimneys. Augustus Holley, a Chowan River planter and fishery owner, had the house built by his slaves and named it after Henry Clay's Kentucky home. Exterior details include fluted window and door trim with decorative corner blocks and boxed cornices with mutule blocks. Inside, a central hall with twelve-foot ceilings, heart-pine floors and Greek Revival mantels survives, and the original floor plan is intact. The corner blocks may draw on plates by Asher Benjamin. The front porch was recently rebuilt using remnants of its original Doric columns. The nomination judges Ashland one of the most distinguished and intact Greek Revival houses in the county, and it was listed for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues Ashland is an exceptional and highly intact example of Greek Revival domestic architecture in Bertie County. It retains its original floor plan, patternbook-inspired architraves and cornerblocks, original sash, doors and chimneys. Its integrity of setting, workmanship and materials is said to exceed most other surviving local examples.
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 03000268, listed April 18, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 45, 0.25 N of jct. with NC 1360, Ashland |
|---|---|
| County | Bertie County |
| Listed | April 18, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000268 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Circa 1840 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built by slaves of Augustus Holley, per the narrative) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single dwelling; the front porch has been reconstructed to its original appearance and restoration of the back porches is planned. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 36.08962, -76.76926 (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.
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 03000268.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17985625
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.