Wilfong-Wilson Farm
Also known as: Wilson,Major House
Why it's listed
Built about 1830 by George Daniel Wilfong, the two-story frame farmhouse near Startown in Catawba County is set on a knoll overlooking pasture and wooded ravines. Its original Federal style interior survives, including two original mantels with carved fan corners and marbled finishes, molded cornices, paneled wainscot and grained six-panel doors. The house is regarded as one of the finest Federal style houses in the county. The farm's log smokehouse, frame corn crib and stone potato house, all thought to date from the house's period, remain grouped nearby. The property is significant for its association with Wilfong's family and the later Wilson family, who farmed it through the antebellum period into the early twentieth century, and for the house's architecture. Grain and livestock were the principal products, and the farm's integrity reflects typical agricultural life in the county.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is one of the most intact plantations remaining in Catawba County and that the house is one of the finest Federal style houses in the county, with original mantels, cornices, wainscot and graining. The house and vernacular outbuildings are presented as representative of antebellum houses and rural outbuildings of the county, and the farm as typical of the county's varied, self-sufficient nineteenth-century agriculture.
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 90000858, listed June 21, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1145, SW of jct. with SR 1146, Startown |
|---|---|
| County | Catawba County |
| Listed | June 21, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000858 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1830-1905 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Long unoccupied; the house is in relatively sound condition and is owned by a private party, with surrounding land used for grazing. |
| Acreage | 53 |
| Coordinates | 35.64481, -81.29404 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 90000858.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18159282
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.