Oaklana
Why it's listed
Oaklana is a frame, two-and-a-half story house of the Federal period near Roxobel in Bertie County, North Carolina, standing among oak trees on a five-acre grove. Perry Cotten Tyler bought the 240-acre site from Hezekiah Callum in 1825 and is credited with building the house soon afterward. The house has a center hall flanked by large rooms, a two-story rear ell, turned porch columns, a modillion block cornice and mantels of vernacular design, with much of the original woodwork intact. Tyler was a prosperous planter whose 1850 and 1860 census entries record dozens of enslaved workers on his land. The house has remained with the Tyler family for more than a century, and it is valued for its intact Federal-period interiors, its association with the antebellum plantation economy of eastern North Carolina, and its family furniture, some of it made by an enslaved carpenter named Charles.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a large and handsome intact example of vernacular Federal domestic architecture, with well-detailed interior woodwork and mantels that mark it as the home of a family of means. It also states that the property has been associated with the antebellum plantation economy of eastern North Carolina and with the Tyler family, who have owned it since 1825.
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 82003429, listed April 15, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Roxobel off SR 1249, Roxobel |
|---|---|
| County | Bertie County |
| Listed | April 15, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003429 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Perry Cotten Tyler (builder); a Mr. Bazemore (carpenter, per family tradition) |
| Architectural style | Federal period, vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered in 1937 with a kitchen, bathrooms and a bedroom wing, and a porch was added in 1978; the house is occupied by the Tyler family. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 36.21971, -77.22250 (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 82003429.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18155287
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.