Williams, Robert, House
Why it's listed
A one-and-one-half story weatherboarded frame house on a former plantation near Eastover in Cumberland County, built around 1850 by farmer Robert Williams on about 500 acres he bought in 1848. The house has a single-pitched gable roof that slopes to engage the front porch, exterior end brick chimneys, and a double front door with ten small square recessed panels, flanked by sidelights and a transom. Its interior follows a four-room plan with a central staircase hall and plain Greek Revival woodwork. Williams and his family, with up to eight enslaved people in 1860, farmed the land; by 1850 he grew corn and sweet potatoes and kept swine and cattle. After the Civil War the farm shrank and was worked by hired hands and tenants. The house is significant for its well-preserved mid-century coastal cottage form and for documenting that shift from plantation to smaller farm, and it remains with Williams's descendants.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a notable example of the traditional Greek Revival coastal plain cottage form in Cumberland County, with intact Greek Revival features such as double front doors with small square panels, sidelights, a transom and interior woodwork. It is also associated with traditional farming practices from the plantation era through the twentieth century, including the shift to a reduced farm worked by hired hands and tenants.
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 83001875, listed July 21, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1728, Eastover |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | July 21, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001875 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1850-1899 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered porch with replaced posts and balustrade and an asphalt-shingled roof replacing original standing seam tin; the house is occupied by descendants of the builder. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 35.08801, -78.81543 (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 83001875.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18217712
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.