Herring, Needham Whitfield, House
Also known as: Murray House
Why it's listed
Built in 1853 for Dr. Needham Whitfield Herring, a physician and planter, this two-story frame house near Kenansville sits on part of a 551-acre plantation west of town. Its Greek Revival design includes a three-bay front with a double-story pedimented porch, paneled square posts, corner pilasters and six-over-six windows under pedimented hoods. The interior centers on a wide hall and a curving staircase with a walnut handrail, and the parlors keep original moldings, rosette corner blocks and ceiling medallions. Two wings added about 1890 extended the house to the rear without changing its original plan. Three antebellum outbuildings, a smokehouse, carriage house and barn, survive with it. The house and outbuildings were moved about two hundred yards in the 1920s and turned to face the new highway, but the surrounding open fields and landscaping still convey the look of a rural plantation. The property is valued as a well-preserved example of the regional Greek Revival style and its plantation setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house represents the mid-nineteenth-century Greek Revival style at its best in Kenansville and Duplin County, with a distinctive double-story porch, paneled details and a curving staircase. It also cites three surviving antebellum outbuildings and the rural plantation setting, which was largely retained after the house was moved about two hundred yards in the 1920s.
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 94000529, listed May 26, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 201 NC 24-50, Kenansville |
|---|---|
| County | Duplin County |
| Listed | May 26, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000529 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1853 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied by the Murrays until recent sale; the document states plans to use the property as a specialty store and restaurant. |
| Acreage | 5.5 |
| Coordinates | 34.95810, -77.98061 (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 94000529.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18391649
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.