Rhem-Waldrop House
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Why it's listed
Standing at the corner of Broad and George streets in New Bern, this two-and-one-half-story brick house was built in the early 1850s in the Renaissance Revival style. George S. Attmore, who bought the lot in 1838, apparently had it built and leased it before selling to Joseph L. Rhem in 1855. Rhem was a wealthy New Bernian who ran a turpentine distillery and a steam saw mill. Union forces occupied the house between 1862 and 1865, and tradition holds that New York regimental officers stayed there. Rhem returned after the war, and the property stayed with his family and heirs, including the Waldrops, until 1971. Stucco scored to imitate stone covers the walls. A high deck-on-hip roof, a semicircular columned entrance porch and a sun room were added in the early twentieth century, with a rear addition in the 1920s. It is valued as one of few New Bern buildings of its era to follow nationally fashionable styles.
Significance in brief: The house is one of the few New Bern structures built between 1820 and 1865 that reflect styles fashionable elsewhere in the country rather than traditional eighteenth-century styles. It has a long association with the prominent Rhem family. Union officers occupied it during the Civil War, which adds to its historical interest.
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 72000947, listed October 18, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 701 Broad St., New Bern |
|---|---|
| County | Craven County |
| Listed | October 18, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000947 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as altered and on its original site; the form lists it as in private ownership and present use as a private residence is not clearly legible. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 35.10811, -77.04487 (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 72000947.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18157237
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.