Mason, John A., House
Why it's listed
Near Farrington in Chatham County, North Carolina, stands a two-story Greek Revival farmhouse built by planter John A. Mason, probably around 1850. The main block is three bays wide and two deep over a low brick foundation, with brick end chimneys and a hip-roof porch that appears original. Flat-paneled corner posts act as pilasters, and window and door frames carry corner blocks with a delicate incised Maltese cross. Inside, a center-hall plan, simple mantels and a striking stair newel built from faceted tear-drop forms stand out. Mason inherited land on New Hope and Morgan Creeks in 1835 and expanded it to over a thousand acres, producing wheat, corn and swine with twenty enslaved people. After his death in 1858 the property passed through his family until it was heavily mortgaged and sold in the twentieth century. It later became part of the Army Corps of Engineers' New Hope Dam Project.
Significance in brief: The house is described as a typical, well-preserved Greek Revival farmhouse set apart from ordinary vernacular examples by consistent and interesting detail, including the porch and corner posts, incised corner blocks and an unusual stair. Mason was an upper middle class planter of local prominence, and the man and his house are presented as representative of an educated, stable element important to the state's social, economic and architectural history.
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 74001338, listed October 23, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Durham off NC 751, Farrington |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | October 23, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001338 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as good condition and altered, on its original site. Owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the New Hope Dam Project, which the state said would decide whether the house was eliminated or preserved. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 35.82536, -78.99362 (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 74001338.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18154158
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.