Carteret County Home
Why it's listed
Beside Highway 101 near Beaufort, a long frame building with a full-length porch and nine brick chimneys recalls the era when North Carolina counties cared for their own poor. Carteret County built the home in 1914 after the legislature allowed bond issues for such institutions. Clarence Simpson won the contract at $3,387.30, and the home opened that June with sixteen places for residents. A two-story center section holds the entrance hall and stairway, with dormitory rooms extending to either side. The home operated under superintendent George Lewis until 1943, when Social Security-era changes in public welfare ended county care and it became the thirty-fourth such home in the state to close. It was later sold, divided into rental apartments and left vacant from the mid-1960s. The nomination values it as one of few surviving county homes and as an example of plain, practical vernacular design reflecting early social reform.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the home is physical evidence of early twentieth-century social reform and humanitarian effort in North Carolina, one of only a few surviving county homes of its kind. It is also a typical example of vernacular building in rural eastern North Carolina, whose plain design reflects its function.
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 84000528, listed December 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 101, Beaufort |
|---|---|
| County | Carteret County |
| Listed | December 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000528 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Clarence Simpson, Builder |
| Architectural style | Vernacular frame building (hall and parlor plan center section) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Structurally sound but neglected and in need of repair; vacant since the mid-1960s, with the current owners renovating the five-room center section. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 34.72851, -76.64897 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 84000528.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18149187
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.