Thomas, James A., Farm
Why it's listed
Along the Haw River in Chatham County, the James A. Thomas Farm shows how a small piedmont farmstead changed over the late nineteenth century. The main house began as a one-story frame cabin, perhaps dating to the late 1860s or early 1870s, and was altered during an 1890s remodeling that moved the kitchen and added a sawn balustrade. A two-story wing, said by family tradition to have been built with help from a local Masonic lodge after a fire around 1882, adds Greek Revival details such as pilastered corner boards, a wide frieze and scalloped cornice returns to vernacular forms. Its interior retains Greek Revival doors and mantels. The outbuildings include log smokehouses and barns with V-notching and iron hinges, and a board-and-batten cabin built around 1903. James Andrew Thomas farmed here from 1869 and grew cotton as his main cash crop. The farm's size fell from 170 to 141 acres during the 1880s and 1890s, while the average North Carolina farm shrank as well.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm illustrates the physical evolution of a small piedmont North Carolina farm during the late nineteenth century. Its main house combines an early vernacular cabin with a two-story wing that adds subtle Greek Revival influences, and it is associated with the decline of larger farms and the growth of smaller ones in the state.
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 85001460, 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 1941, Pittsboro |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | July 5, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001460 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1870-1899 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular with Greek Revival influences |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The document states the farm's main house and outbuildings remained in place after federal purchase of land for a lake in the 1970s; current occupancy is not stated beyond the 1983 reference to the family. |
| Acreage | 43 |
| Coordinates | 35.70577, -79.07844 (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 85001460.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18158775
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.