Boney, W. Stokes, House
Why it's listed
Built between 1878 and 1890 on the eastern edge of Wallace in Duplin County, this two-story weatherboard house is best known for its bent plan. The main block turns inward by eighteen degrees, and a double-tiered porch with scalloped millwork follows the curve. Mill owner and farmer W. Stokes Boney began building at age eighteen from his own drawings, reportedly to make room for a graceful curving stair. Brickmason George Blanton laid the foundation and chimneys. Details such as paneled porch posts, pilasters with molded caps and peaked window and door architraves reflect the late Greek Revival style. The form calls it the only documented nineteenth-century house in North Carolina with this arched shape. A ca. 1850 plank smokehouse, joined with half-dovetail notching, is among the few such log outbuildings left in the county. A 1890 grape arbor also survives. The land has stayed in the Boney family since 1763.
Significance in brief: The house is unusual for the eighteen-degree inward bend of its main block, said to have been designed to fit a curving stair. It is described as the only documented nineteenth-century house in North Carolina with this arched form. It also shows regional late Greek Revival details, and the ca. 1850 log plank smokehouse is one of few remaining in the county.
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 99000812, listed July 8, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 651 E. Southerland St., Wallace |
|---|---|
| County | Duplin County |
| Listed | July 8, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000812 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850, 1878-1890 |
| Architect / builder | Boney, W. Stokes (builder); Blanton, George (brickmason) |
| Architectural style | Other: Late Greek Revival influenced |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the form says the occupant continues to live there and that the owners plan to restore the house to its original appearance. |
| Acreage | 17.8 |
| Coordinates | 34.74174, -77.98555 (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 99000812.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18395852
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.