Holt, Dr. William Rainey, House
Also known as: The Homestead
Why it's listed
Built in 1834 on South Main Street in Lexington, the Dr. William Rainey Holt House, called The Homestead, is a three-bay, two-story, hip-roof frame dwelling with a center-hall plan. It is one of two antebellum houses surviving in the town. Its Greek Revival details include Palladian windows, fluted Ionic columns at the entrance, Doric corner pilasters, a modillion cornice and leaded stained glass. Later changes include Victorian bay windows around 1892, a Colonial Revival porch around 1900 and a one-story rear addition in 1949. Holt was a Jefferson Medical College graduate and a leading Lexington physician. He also ran Linwood, a plantation that became one of the state's model scientific farms, and he served as president of the North Carolina Agricultural Society from 1860 to 1868. During the Civil War, Union General Kilpatrick used the house as a regimental headquarters for two months. Holt's descendants have kept the house, and it remains in excellent repair.
Significance in brief: The house is one of two surviving antebellum houses in Lexington and has unusually sophisticated Greek Revival detailing. It is also tied to Dr. Holt, a physician and founder and long-time president of the North Carolina Agricultural Society, who ran Linwood, one of the state's model scientific farms.
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 83001876, listed June 23, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 408 S. Main St., Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | Davidson County |
| Listed | June 23, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001876 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (family tradition says a Charleston architect; the name is lost) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and in excellent repair; occupied as a private residence and still owned by Holt's descendants at the time of the form. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 35.82096, -80.25720 (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 83001876.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18352542
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.