Goodwin Farm Complex
Why it's listed
Set on cleared fields off S.R. 1900 near the Chatham-Wake County line, the Goodwin Farm Complex centers on a main house built in several stages, with a secondary house and a group of agricultural outbuildings. The earliest part is a log cabin and detached log kitchen, which family tradition places in the 1850s and which were later joined by a breezeway, covered in weatherboards and enclosed. John Goodwin, who established the farm in the 1850s, lived there with his wife Lucy and their children. W. H. Goodwin, one of their sons, enlarged the farm from eighty-two acres to 157 acres in the late 1890s and built the two-story front section of the house around 1900. Its central-hall plan, six-over-six windows, and turned porch posts reflect rural vernacular building of the period. The outbuildings, in weatherboard, board-and-batten, log and clay block, document the farm's growth through the nineteenth century. Together they illustrate how a small family farm developed in central North Carolina.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex demonstrates the establishment and expansion of small family farms in central North Carolina during the nineteenth century. Its main house and outbuildings are presented as representative of vernacular architectural traditions in rural central North Carolina, and together they document the social and physical evolution of the farm.
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 85001453, listed July 5, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1900, Bells |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | July 5, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001453 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John and W. H. Goodwin |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered; still used for food preparation in the former kitchen section |
| Acreage | 57 |
| Coordinates | 35.71928, -78.95977 (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 85001453.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18150965
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.