Hawks House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Standing almost directly on Hancock Street in New Bern, this one-and-a-half story frame house has a gambrel roof, six bays across the front and five shed dormers. Its chimneys differ: a double-shoulder exterior end chimney on the south side is unusual locally, while a pair of exposed-face interior chimneys on the north side is a hallmark of New Bern building. Inside, an elliptical arch with a molded keystone and pilasters with pierced gouge work gives the hall an elaborate Federal touch, and the mantels show Adamesque design. Stylistic evidence places the completed house between 1780 and 1810, with the southern end likely the earlier section. The lot was granted in 1746 and passed through several owners before Francis Hawks bought it in 1807. He served as customs collector for the port and held the house until his death in 1832. His son Francis Lister Hawks became an Episcopal bishop and historian of North Carolina. The house remains remarkably unchanged from the Hawks family's occupancy.
Significance in brief: The house is one of a small number of surviving gambrel structures in the area and has unusual, dissimilar chimneys and well-executed Federal interiors. It remains little changed from the period when the Hawks family, prominent in North Carolina for three generations, lived there. Its owners included Francis Hawks, son of Tryon Palace architect John Hawks.
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 72000943, listed March 16, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 306 Hancock St., New Bern |
|---|---|
| County | Craven County |
| Listed | March 16, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000943 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal interiors; gambrel-roof frame dwelling |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and altered; used as a private residence and now a multiple dwelling, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 35.10772, -77.04113 (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 72000943.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18151524
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.