Harmony Hall
Why it's listed
Harmony Hall is a two-story frame house three bays wide on a high brick foundation, set west of White Oak in Bladen County. A low gable roof extends over two-tier porches on the front and rear, a feature of lower Cape Fear plantation houses. Colonel James Richardson, a militia officer in the Revolution, probably built it soon after acquiring land in 1773. Local tradition holds that Cornwallis lodged there on his march to Wilmington and that Mrs. Richardson overheard his plans from the attic and warned her husband. The house was altered over time: siding types vary, the north chimney was rebuilt in the twentieth century, and a Greek Revival partition created a center hall. The roof line dates from about 1810. The Richardson family kept the house until 1870. It later passed to the Bladen County Historical Society, which has been restoring it. Its significance rests on its architecture and its local historical associations.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a typical late eighteenth-century plantation house of the lower Cape Fear area, with distinctive double porches enclosing an exterior stair. It also has local historical value through its owner, Revolutionary War figure Colonel James Richardson, and a local legend that his wife overheard Cornwallis's plans.
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 72000925, listed March 24, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of White Oak on SR 1351, White Oak |
|---|---|
| County | Bladen County |
| Listed | March 24, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000925 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century |
| Architect / builder | James Richardson (named as architect/master builder on the data sheet) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Colonial |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, partially restored, with preservation work in progress; owned by the Bladen County Historical Society and not open to the public. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 34.73711, -78.74586 (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 72000925.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5659520
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.