Liberty Row
Why it's listed
Fourteen brick commercial buildings line the north side of the first block of Person Street in Fayetteville, stretching from Market Square to the triangular Liberty Point. The oldest is the Liberty Point Store, a Federal period building and the oldest known commercial building in the city, though its exact date is uncertain. A row of gabled brick stores followed after the fire of July 1846, with brick parapet walls meant to resist fire. Later Italianate and Romanesque Revival stores were added between 1896 and 1916. The row grew from the merging of Campbelltown and Cross Creek in 1783, when Person Street replaced Bow Street as the center of business. Silversmiths and pewterers once worked here, and the street was nicknamed Robber's Row for its many shops. Liberty Point marks the site where the Liberty Point Resolves were adopted in 1775. The area changed little after the main business district shifted to Hay Street in the early twentieth century.
Significance in brief: The row is described as one of the most cohesive nineteenth century commercial rows in North Carolina, with vernacular Federal, Italianate and Romanesque Revival examples. It is the oldest commercial district in Fayetteville and includes the oldest known commercial building in the city. Liberty Point is also the site of the Liberty Point Resolves of June 20, 1775.
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 73001331, listed August 14, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N Side of the first block of Person St., bounded by Market Sq. and Liberty Point, Fayetteville |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | August 14, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001331 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Federal, Italianate and Romanesque Revival (vernacular commercial) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked good and fair; altered, original site; occupied, commercial use. Many storefronts have been changed, and one two-story building has been demolished since the photograph was taken. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Fayetteville Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.05205, -78.87690 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 73001331.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18209100
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.