Koonts, Capt. John, Jr., Farm
Why it's listed
Overlooking the Yadkin River in western Davidson County, this farm centers on an unusual one-story frame house built for Captain John Koonts Jr. between 1870 and 1880. Its plan has a two-story hexagonal center section topped by a belvedere, with three one-story wings and a semicircular front porch. Greek Revival eaves and corner posts contrast with the Italianate porch. Behind the house stand three original half-dovetail log outbuildings: a double pen barn, a corn crib and a granary, plus a frame well house. The design appears to follow Cooleemee Plantation, an 1855 villa across the river in Davie County, and Koonts bought land from that estate's owners in the early 1870s. Only one other postbellum house in the county, the Philip Sowers House, shows similar inspiration. Later changes include a larger rear porch and a bathroom addition. The farm is valued as a vernacular reinterpretation of a grand plantation house.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be one of the most architecturally significant Reconstruction-era farm complexes in Davidson County. Its unusual y-plan with a hexagonal belvedere reduces the design of nearby Cooleemee Plantation (1855) to a frame vernacular farmhouse. The nomination cites Criterion C for this postbellum influence of an antebellum plantation house.
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 84002131, listed July 10, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1186, Tyro |
|---|---|
| County | Davidson County |
| Listed | July 10, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002131 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Italianate Revival, with Greek Revival detailing |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked fair and altered; the interior trim is likely largely intact but in poor repair. The farm has been leased to tenants since 1927. |
| Acreage | 210 |
| Coordinates | 35.84601, -80.38241 (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 84002131.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18331116
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.