Faison, William Wright, House
Also known as: Friendship
Why it's listed
Known as "Friendship," this two-story frame house was built about 1852 near Bowdens in Duplin County, North Carolina, for planter William Wright Faison. It sits on 1.2 acres that remain from a plantation once reaching well over a thousand acres. The house is three bays wide with a tall front portico, paneled corner boards, low pediments on the sides, and twin interior chimneys. A broad center hall, heart pine floors and Greek Revival mantels and door frames define the interior. The portico and balcony date to the late 1940s, replacing a reported double-story porch. Nearby stands a ca. 1830 school building where the Faison children were taught, showing Federal and Greek Revival details. It is vacant and deteriorating. The property was listed for architecture, as a fine rural example of Greek Revival design among the large antebellum homes built by related families, a trend encouraged by the arrival of the railroad. The house stayed in Faison family hands until 1903.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a fine, large example of rural Greek Revival design and one of a group of big antebellum residences built by related families in the county. Its quality of design and craftsmanship is linked to the commerce and cultural trends the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad brought to upland settlements. The ca. 1830 school building is also noted for its blend of Federal and Greek Revival features.
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 04001390, listed December 23, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1304, 0.2 mi. SE of jct. with NC 1354, Bowdens |
|---|---|
| County | Duplin County |
| Listed | December 23, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001390 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1830, Ca. 1852 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house is in use as a single dwelling. The ca. 1830 school building is described as vacant and deteriorating, and the slave house has collapsed. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 35.08096, -78.05952 (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 04001390.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18395017
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.