Dickson, Roger, Farm
Why it's listed
Set at the end of a long dirt drive in southwest Duplin County, this farm centers on a one-and-one-half story frame house built about 1815-1818 in the North Carolina coastal cottage tradition. Its tall gable roof and deep, full-width engaged porch suit the hot, humid coastal plain. Around 1850 a two-bay addition was added and the porch was given Greek Revival posts that encase the original chamfered ones. A detached kitchen and a c. 1850 corn crib survive nearby, within a 157-acre tract of fields and woods. The house shows a shift in building methods, with hewn timbers, hand planing and pit-sawn rafters alongside circular-sawn lumber and machine-made nails. It was long home to Robert Dickson and his descendants, a branch of a family prominent in the county's military, political and educational history, and it is the only surviving nineteenth-century Dickson residence. Vacant since about 1971, it remains structurally sound and largely intact.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be one of Duplin County's oldest and least altered examples of the vernacular North Carolina coastal cottage, with a full-width engaged porch and a tall gable roof. It also shows a transitional period in building technology, mixing hand-hewn and pit-sawn elements with circular-sawn members and machine-made nails. It is further tied to the Dickson family, prominent in county history, and remains the only surviving nineteenth-century Dickson residence.
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 88000053, listed February 8, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E side of SR 1917, Magnolia |
|---|---|
| County | Duplin County |
| Listed | February 8, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000053 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c.1815 - 1850 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: Vernacular N.C. coastal cottage |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house has been vacant since about 1971 but is in remarkably good structural condition; the roof is maintained, and the owner plans to restore it. |
| Acreage | 157.7 |
| Coordinates | 34.86323, -78.00693 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 88000053.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18390933
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.