Terry, A. P., House
Why it's listed
Facing north from a knoll shaded by mature maples, this two-story Queen Anne house at 601 Womack Street anchors a farm complex of about ten frame buildings, including a barn, hog sheds and a smokehouse. The smokehouse is the only visible remnant of the earlier home of Abraham Rencher, which stood on or near the site. Built around 1900 for Aaron P. Terry, a saloon-keeper turned farmer, the house has an encircling porch, an open second-story tower, patterned gables and a stairhall with colored-glass windows. Inside, Eastlake mantelpieces and diagonally sheathed wainscoting stand out. Lumberman and contractor Bennett Nooe, Jr., who later served as mayor, built it, and it is considered the finest and best-preserved of his Queen Anne houses in Pittsboro. The property reflects the town's growth after the railroad arrived in 1887 and the work of a builder said to have erected about 1,000 houses and stores between 1893 and 1904.
Significance in brief: The form argues the house is the most ambitious and best-preserved Queen Anne residence built in Pittsboro by lumberman/contractor Bennett Nooe, Jr., and has a lavish Eastlake interior. It is tied to Pittsboro's economic expansion after the railroad opened in 1887 and to Nooe's career as a builder and mayor.
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 82001292, listed October 5, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 601 Womack St., Pittsboro |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | October 5, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001292 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Bennett Nooe, Jr. (builder; the form's builder/architect field says Unknown) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, with Eastlake interior detailing |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Maintained as a private residence by the owner, with a small number of beef cattle occasionally raised on the property; described as well preserved. |
| Acreage | 11 |
| Coordinates | 35.71827, -79.18689 (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 82001292.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18158694
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.