Gilmore-Patterson Farm
Why it's listed
Located in western Bladen County near Duart and St. Paul's, this 120-acre farm is a working agricultural complex that has stayed in one family since the eighteenth century. Its centerpiece is a one-story frame farmhouse built around 1872 in late Greek Revival form and updated about 1890 with Queen Anne features, including a gabled front addition and a three-sided bay. Around it stand a smokehouse, an outhouse, a former post office, a mule stable dating to about 1868, log and frame tobacco barns, a granary, a garage and two tenant houses. Fields, pastures, woods and hog lots remain in use much as they were historically, and a trace of the Virginia and Carolina South Railroad bed crosses the land. The property was listed for its place in local agricultural history, from Scottish settlement and Daniel Patterson's 1868 acquisition through the era of cotton, tenant farming and tobacco, and for its intact collection of period buildings.
Significance in brief: The farm is argued to be a rare example of a southeastern North Carolina farm continuously owned and cultivated by one family since the eighteenth century, illustrating the evolution of local agricultural practices (Criterion A). It also has architectural value for its late Greek Revival house updated in a modified Queen Anne style and its intact late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century outbuildings (Criterion C).
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 99000912, listed July 28, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 20337 NC 87 W, St. Paul's |
|---|---|
| County | Bladen County |
| Listed | July 28, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000912 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1868-1949 |
| Architectural style | Other: Greek Revival-influenced; Other: Queen Anne-influenced |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The form lists the current function of the dwelling as vacant/not in use, while the farm remains a working farm with fields, hog lots and outbuildings still in agricultural use. |
| Acreage | 120 |
| Coordinates | 34.80082, -78.84483 (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 99000912.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18150786
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.