York-Gordon House
Why it's listed
This one-and-a-half-story frame house with a gambrel roof stands on a narrow lot on Hancock Street in New Bern. Built in the late eighteenth century, it once had an unobstructed view of the Trent River to the south. The lot passed from Frederick Jones and Jonathan Bangs to Mary York, who transferred it to attorney Patrick Gordon by 1768. Gordon wrote in 1771 that he was building a house there, possibly finishing one begun by Stephen York. After his death in 1773, the property was fought over in court for decades. The house later stood beside a railroad line and bridge that became a Union supply link in 1862, and Union troops may have occupied it. Inside are a closed-string stair, a Federal mantel and a Georgian-style second-floor mantel. Only two pre-Revolutionary gambrel-roof houses survive in the New Bern area, and this one differs in form from the other, the Hawks House, which gives it importance in the story of the type in North Carolina.
Significance in brief: It is an unusual New Bern house begun before the Revolution and finished shortly after, with excellent Georgian and Federal elements. It is one of only two surviving pre-Revolutionary gambrel-roof houses in the New Bern area, which makes it important for tracing the evolution of the gambrel-roof house in North Carolina.
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 73001328, listed June 18, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 213 Hancock St., New Bern |
|---|---|
| County | Craven County |
| Listed | June 18, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001328 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century |
| Architectural style | Georgian and Federal elements; gambrel-roof frame dwelling |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in good condition and altered, on its original site; used as a private residence and described as occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.10377, -77.04329 (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 73001328.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18159357
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.