Poe, Edgar Allan, House
Why it's listed
Built between 1896 and 1898 at 206 Bradford Avenue in Fayetteville, this two-story frame house shows late Victorian design with Eastlake detailing that is rare in the city. Local builder Ruffin Vaughn, who was among the most active in the area, constructed it as one of his last houses. A wraparound porch rises to two tiers at the center front, decorated with turned posts, balusters and sawnwork. Inside, a central-hall plan holds four principal rooms per floor, with beaded wainscot, bullseye surrounds, sliding paneled doors and spoked, beaded-board ceilings. The lot was once part of the United States Arsenal grounds. The original owner, Edgar Allan Poe, ran a brickmaking business that grew into the E.A. Poe Brick Company. His home reflected the rise of Haymount, west of town, as a fashionable district for merchants, professionals and industrialists. Most outbuildings have been removed, but the house still looks much as it did in the early twentieth century.
Significance in brief: The house is noted for rare Eastlake detailing in Fayetteville, substantial construction, a double-tiered wraparound porch and notable interior woodwork. It is also tied to the growth of Haymount as a fashionable western suburb around 1900, when brick manufacturer Edgar Allan Poe helped set a standard for houses in the district.
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 83001869, listed July 7, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 206 Bradford Ave., Fayetteville |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | July 7, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001869 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1896-1898 |
| Architect / builder | Ruffin Vaughn |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian with Eastlake detailing |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as excellent and unaltered, on its original site. Upper-level rooms have been converted to apartment space, and a brick smokehouse at the rear is also used as an apartment. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Fayetteville Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.05417, -78.87959 (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 83001869.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5337100
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.