Ballance, Ellsworth and Lovie, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1915 by fisherman Ellsworth B. Ballance and his wife Lovie, this two-story, T-shaped frame house sits on a third-of-an-acre lot in the unplatted village of Hatteras on the Outer Banks. It has board-and-batten siding, a wood shingle roof, brick piers, a turned-post front porch and two-over-two sash windows. The main block is one room deep, with a two-room ell holding the dining room and kitchen. Inside, the original board walls, pine floors and doors survive. The house is significant for architecture as an example of a form favored by Hatteras fishing families between 1890 and 1920, which kept the traditional separation of cooking and dining from sleeping and living areas. At least fifteen such houses stood before 1940, but only five remain. Restored in recent years to its ca. 1915 appearance, this house is the only one of them completely restored, and it retains a high level of integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved example of a characteristic Hatteras house form built by prosperous fishing families in the early twentieth century. Only five of at least fifteen such houses remain in the village, and this one is among the best preserved and the only one completely restored.
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 01000558, listed May 25, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E side M.V. Australia Ln., 0.1 mi. S of Stowe Landing Rd., Hatteras |
|---|---|
| County | Dare County |
| Listed | May 25, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000558 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1915 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | OTHER: Two-story T-plan house |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is single family dwelling; the house was restored to its ca. 1915 appearance beginning in 1999. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.22271, -75.68659 (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 01000558.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18205414
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.