Cool Spring Place
Why it's listed
Cool Spring Place is a large two-story frame house on North Cool Spring Street in Fayetteville, built in 1788 as Cool Spring Tavern and named for a nearby well-known spring. Dolphin Davis and Nathan and Elisha Stedman built it, probably expecting trade from delegates to the 1789 state convention. That convention ratified the United States Constitution, and Richard Caswell, its presiding officer, is reputed to have stayed at the tavern. Elisha Stedman later made it a private residence. The five-bay house has a double porch, a Palladian entrance with a pierced garland fanlight, large end chimneys of Flemish bond brick, and a center-hall plan with Federal mantels and arched hall openings. It is believed to be the oldest surviving structure in Fayetteville, having come through the 1831 fire, and it shows the refined craftsmanship of the city's late eighteenth-century builders.
Significance in brief: The form argues it is believed to be the oldest existing structure in Fayetteville and survived the fire of 1831. It is an unusually gracious example of Upper Cape Fear Federal-period architecture, with fine Palladian entrance and interior woodwork. It is also closely associated with the Fayetteville Convention of 1789, when North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution.
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 72000956, listed October 10, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 119 N. Cool Spring St., Fayetteville |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | October 10, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000956 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century (1788) |
| Architect / builder | Dolphin Davis and Nathan and Elisha Stedman (built the tavern) |
| Architectural style | Federal (Upper Cape Fear architecture of the Federal period) |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is stated as excellent and altered, on its original site; occupied and used as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Fayetteville Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.05238, -78.87482 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 72000956.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18152469
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.