Smith, Benjamin, House
Why it's listed
Built before 1802 at 210 Hancock Street in New Bern, this brick house rises two and a half stories above a full basement and follows the side-hall plan that was popular in the town in the early nineteenth century. The walls are laid in Flemish bond, and the gable roof carries a carved wooden cornice with modillions and a Wall of Troy band. The main entrance is on the south side, and the interior mixes Georgian and Federal mantels, a combination the nomination calls puzzling. Benjamin Smith, whose wife Sarah Dry was the daughter of a wealthy planter, probably built it, and they sold it to Charles Bates in 1802. Later owners included Thomas Daves, John G. Kinsey and James W. Bryan. Maude Moore Latham bought it in 1895. During the Civil War, its view of the railroad and the Trent River bridge made it a lookout and troop quarters, first for Confederate and then for Union forces, who held New Bern from 1862.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an interesting early version of the brick side-hall-plan town house that dominated early nineteenth-century New Bern. Its interiors, essentially intact apart from the basement, combine Georgian and Federal trim in a puzzling way. Its position near the railroad and Trent River bridge also made it an important site during the Civil War occupation of New Bern.
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 72000949, listed April 13, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 210 Hancock St., New Bern |
|---|---|
| County | Craven County |
| Listed | April 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000949 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Brick side-hall plan town house with Georgian and Federal interior detail |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and altered, on its original site; the form lists the use as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.10555, -77.04151 (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 72000949.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4889239
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.