Clear Springs Plantation
Also known as: Dawson Place; Green's Thoroughfare
Why it's listed
Clear Springs Plantation, also called Green's Thoroughfare or Dawson Place, is a story-and-a-half Georgian frame house near Jasper in Craven County. It sits on a natural outcropping of coquina, a shell conglomerate locally called marl, beside a spring-fed creek. The house is five bays wide with pedimented dormers, two interior end chimneys and a coquina basement. Much original interior woodwork survives, including raised-panel doors, molded trim and a fully paneled hall chimney wall. The exact construction date is unknown, though style, family history and records point to about 1740. The land was granted to Farnifold Green in 1707 and has remained with his descendants. Its marl quarries likely supplied foundation stone for early New Bern houses and the Cedar Grove Cemetery wall. The house is considered possibly the oldest standing building in Craven County and one of the most complete early eighteenth-century houses in North Carolina.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it may be the oldest standing building in Craven County and one of the most complete surviving early eighteenth-century houses in the state. It shows the first known use of coquina foundations and exposed-face interior end chimneys, features typical of Craven County. The land has stayed in the same family since 1707, and the marl quarries probably supplied stone for New Bern buildings.
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 73001318, listed March 14, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of Jasper, Jasper |
|---|---|
| County | Craven County |
| Listed | March 14, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001318 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as unusually well preserved though run down; the form checks fair condition, altered, and original site. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 35.21599, -77.20052 (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 73001318.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18148988
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.