Shoaf, Henry, Farm
Also known as: Dv-342
Why it's listed
Just west of Lexington, in an area undergoing rapid commercial development, this farmstead preserves a nearly complete set of early nineteenth century log buildings. Henry Shoaf, born in 1792, is credited with building it. A two-story log house was enlarged and remodeled about 1860 in a vernacular Greek Revival-Italianate style, which hides the logs on the outside. Nearby stand a double pen log barn, smokehouse, corn crib, granary and potato house. The barn carries the carved initials "H.S." and the date 1811. Its roof uses butt-type principal rafters, the only known example in Davidson County, and it may be the oldest barn standing there. Shoaf became one of the county's wealthiest farmers, with nearly 2,000 acres along Swearing Creek. The barn and granary were moved when US 64 was rerouted. The farm is listed for showing how a medium-sized farmstead looked and for its log construction, and for its link to Shoaf. His family has owned it continuously.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the most intact early nineteenth century log farms remaining in Davidson County. Its double pen barn has a butt-type principal rafter roof, the only known example in the county, and may be the oldest standing barn there. It is also associated with Henry Shoaf, a wealthy farmer who owned nearly 2,000 acres. The property has stayed in the Shoaf family since its construction.
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 84002148, listed July 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 64, Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | Davidson County |
| Listed | July 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002148 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Henry Shoaf (builder, per family tradition); form lists builder/architect as unknown |
| Architectural style | Log construction; vernacular Greek Revival-Italianate remodeling of 1860 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered: some buildings were moved in the 1970s when US 64 was rerouted. The house was enlarged and remodeled around 1860. Several other log outbuildings have disappeared. |
| Acreage | 10.7 |
| Coordinates | 35.83539, -80.27989 (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 84002148.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18331638
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.