Smallwood, Eli, House
Why it's listed
Built about 1810 for Eli Smallwood on a former tanyard lot bought in 1807, this brick town house at 524 East Front Street in New Bern is regarded as a showpiece of the Federal style. It has a side-hall plan, Flemish bond brickwork, four pedimented dormers and a gable roof, and it sits on a brick cellar with gardens reaching the Neuse River. Hand-carved cable, dentil and modillion ornament appears on the cornices, the porches and the dormers. The front porch and its fanlight transom are described as the best preserved of their type in the city. Inside, a wide hall with an elliptical transverse arch frames the stair, and the parlors and upper chambers have carved mantels, overmantels and chair rails. The form suggests the joiner John Dewey as the likely designer and builder, noting similarities to his work in the Masonic Theater lodge room. During the Civil War the neighboring house served General Foster, and the property later passed through the Thomas and Jones families.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the finest expression of the Federal style in New Bern, a town where that style reached a level unmatched in North Carolina. Its hand-carved ornament on the cornices, porches, dormers and interior woodwork is exceptionally rich and well executed. The ornament is probably the work of the craftsman John Dewey.
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 72000948, listed December 5, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 524 E. Front St., New Bern |
|---|---|
| County | Craven County |
| Listed | December 5, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000948 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (c.1810) |
| Architect / builder | Possibly John Dewey (designer and builder, favored by the form); Martin Stevenson, Sr. is named as another possibility |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition, altered, on its original site, and used as a private residence; the form says restoration was completed by the mid-1930s. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 35.11114, -77.03595 (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 72000948.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18158094
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.