London, Henry Adolphus, House
Why it's listed
Built about 1895 in Pittsboro, this one-story frame cottage stands on a lot off West Salisbury Street and shows the irregular massing of the Queen Anne style. Its three-sided front bay, wraparound porch with a turned balustrade, and corner fireplaces give it a lively silhouette. The most notable feature is the shingle sheathing: alternating horizontal bands of diamond-cut and square-cut wood shingles cover the entire front of the projecting bay, a treatment the nomination describes as unusual. The house is attributed to contractor Bennet Nooe, Jr., who is credited with an estimated one thousand buildings in Pittsboro, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Lexington during the 1890s and early 1900s. Its builder family, the Londons, were prominent local merchants and bankers. Its significance rests on its architecture, as an intact example of Nooe's decorative work in Pittsboro.
Significance in brief: The house is regarded as a representative example of the Queen Anne work of contractor Bennet Nooe, Jr., who shaped Pittsboro's growth in the 1890s and early 1900s. Its decorative wood shingle treatment across the projecting front bay and gables is considered exceptional even among Nooe's buildings in the town. The nomination argues it has local architectural significance under Criterion C.
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 98001143, listed September 3, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 440 W. Salisbury St., Pittsboro |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | September 3, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98001143 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1895 |
| Architect / builder | Bennet Nooe, Jr. (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The present owners plan to restore the house, including removing later shed rooms and an 1980s interior enclosure. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Coordinates | 35.72257, -79.18502 (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 98001143.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18153758
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.