Bray, Cadmus N., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1906 by local builder J. W. Turner on a large corner lot in Siler City, this two-and-one-half-story frame house blends Queen Anne asymmetry with Colonial Revival detailing. Its cross-gabled hipped roof, shingled and bargeboarded gables, and polygonal bays are paired with a wrap-around porch carried on Ionic columns and rusticated stone piers, plus a later Ionic porte-cochere. Inside, original oak floors, beadboard wainscoting, fluted trim, and parlor mantels with mirrored overmantels remain largely intact. The house was built for Cadmus N. Bray, who ran a brick yard that supplied early Siler City buildings, served as mayor, and helped establish the town's first public electric power and telephone company. It is valued as one of the town's most intact early twentieth-century homes and as the model for two later houses Turner built for Bray relatives.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a transitional design mixing Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles, and as a nearly unaltered representative of early-twentieth-century architecture in a small North Carolina rail town. It also served as the model for two later houses Turner built for Bray's relatives. Cadmus N. Bray is noted for his brick yard, civic service as mayor, and role in early public utilities in Siler City.
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 99001620, listed December 30, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 229 W. Second St., Siler City |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | December 30, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001620 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906 |
| Architect / builder | Turner, James W. (builder) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne/Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The original standing-seam metal roof of the main block has been replaced with shingles; the 1940 garage is described as deteriorated and slated for removal by the present owner; the house was sold in 1990 and rehabilitation has begun. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.72389, -79.46149 (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 99001620.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18148628
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.