Jordan, Marion Jasper, Farm
Also known as: Jordan Place
Why it's listed
Near Gulf in Chatham County, North Carolina, this farm centers on a large two-story house built around 1893 by lumberman Marion Jasper Jordan and his wife Lydia, who adapted ideas from magazines of the period. Its three-bay, center-hall form follows a foursquare plan, with a two-tiered porch, turned posts, scrolled brackets and sawtooth shingles. Inside, up to eight local woods, never painted in most rooms, appear in walls, floors and ceilings, along with an elaborate staircase and eight surviving mantels of differing designs. Behind the house stand a wellhouse, flowerhouse, blacksmith's shop, caretaker's cottage and other outbuildings. Jordan grew a timberland holding of more than 1,000 acres, ran a lumber business and tenant farms, and paid for a railroad spur to ship his goods. The property was listed for its architecture and for its role in local agriculture and commerce from about 1893 to 1930, when the lumber business ended.
Significance in brief: The house is described as one of the most exuberant and best preserved lumbermen's houses in Chatham County, with Queen Anne exterior details and an intact all-wood interior of exceptional craftsmanship. The farm is also significant for agriculture and commerce as the seat of a regionally important lumber dealership until about 1930.
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 88000169, listed February 25, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | R. Jordan Rd./SR 2145, Gulf |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | February 25, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000169 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1893 - c.1930 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne; other: Folk Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house is described as in excellent condition and still used as a dwelling; the barn/carriage house is in ruinous condition. |
| Acreage | 22.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.55771, -79.27003 (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 88000169.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18152792
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.