Elmwood
Why it's listed
Elmwood is a two-story plantation house of seven bays on the south bank of Salmon Creek in Bertie County, North Carolina. Christopher Clark, a planter and mariner, had the original five-bay hall-and-parlor house built about 1786 to 1787 on land he acquired from confiscated Loyalist holdings. Around 1810, Stark Armistead enlarged it with a block of rooms on the east, converting the original parlor into a wide central passage and reconfiguring the stair. The interior holds notable Georgian woodwork in the original hall room, Federal woodwork in the eastern parlor, and Greek Revival surrounds and a trabeated entrance added in the 1830s or 1840s by William T. Sutton, one of the largest landowners and slaveholders in antebellum Bertie County. The house is considered a significant regional example of a large planter's residence, showing three stylistic periods in one building.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues Elmwood is a significant regional example of the large plantation house, combining Georgian, Federal and Greek Revival elements at a large scale. Its three building periods show changing architectural fashion alongside an expanding plantation economy. The house also has notable interior woodwork from each period, and its ownership chain links it to prominent Bertie County planters.
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 02001710, listed January 15, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 637 Avoca Farm Rd., Merry Hill |
|---|---|
| County | Bertie County |
| Listed | January 15, 2003 |
| Reference number | 02001710 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1787 to 1840s |
| Architectural style | Georgian; Federal; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 36.00209, -76.72603 (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 02001710.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18149854
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.