Davis, John, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1870 at 910 Arsenal Avenue, this small two-story frame house sits in Fayetteville's Haymount neighborhood. John Davis bought the lot in 1870, next to the former United States Arsenal grounds, and built the house behind his general grocery store, which faced the busy Morganton Road, now Hay Street. The house has weatherboard siding, a gable roof with flared ends and exposed rafters, a rear ell, and a front porch with chamfered posts and lacy sawn brackets. Inside, a simple four-room plan surrounds a central chimney. Davis ran the store until his death in 1893, and his son John Jr. continued it until 1937. The house was later sold out of the family and used as rental housing during and after World War II. It was recognized for its link to Haymount's residential growth after the Arsenal lands were sold in the 1870s, and for its uncommon Victorian details in a local setting.
Significance in brief: The house reflects the residential growth of Haymount, Fayetteville's western district, along the main trade route after nearby Arsenal lands were parceled and sold in the 1870s. It is also one of the few Fayetteville houses showing the picturesque traditions of Victorian architecture, with a sawn-bracket porch and unusual flared gable eaves.
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 83001848, listed July 7, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 910 Arsenal Ave., Fayetteville |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | July 7, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001848 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Victorian, picturesque traditions of the nineteenth century |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The form lists the property as unoccupied and vacant. Ownership had recently passed to the Historic Fayetteville Foundation in the hope that the building would be preserved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.05517, -78.89568 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 83001848.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6228836
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.