Smith Jr., Isaac H., House
Why it's listed
Built between 1923 and 1924 on Johnson Street in New Bern, this two-story side-gable frame house with a brick basement was constructed for Isaac H. Smith, Jr., a real estate agent, insurance seller and banker, and his wife Annie Day Shepherd Smith. A carpenter known only as Mr. Rhem built it after the Great Fire of 1922 destroyed the family's earlier home nearby. The house has Craftsman features including a raised front-gable porch with exposed rafter ends and knee bracing, and a shed dormer with paired casement windows. Later changes include a two-story rear extension and side bay added between 1935 and 1940, and aluminum siding installed in the 1950s. Interior details such as brick mantelpieces, a stair with a Colonial Revival newel post, and an Art Deco bathroom survive. The house is significant as a visible sign of the financial and social success possible for African Americans in New Bern under Jim Crow.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is locally significant under Criterion A for Black ethnic heritage and social history as the home of a financially successful African American businessman in early twentieth-century New Bern. It is also described as an intact example of vernacular Craftsman style practiced by urban African Americans, with refined interior finishes compared to other local African American houses of the period.
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 02000965, listed September 14, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 605 Johnson St., New Bern |
|---|---|
| County | Craven County |
| Listed | September 14, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000965 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1923-1952 |
| Architectural style | Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still owned by the family; the house was rented for some years after 1975 and descendants are restoring it. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New Bern Historic District (Boundary Increase) (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 35.11039, -77.04317 (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 02000965.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18158100
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.