Hill, Buckner, House
Why it's listed
Southeast of Faison, in Duplin County, stands a large two-story frame house built shortly before the Civil War for Dr. Buckner L. Hill, a planter and self-taught physician. The Italianate house has a cruciform floor plan, with a twelve-foot-wide hall at each level and a room in each corner. Center-bay porches project from all four sides, and each elevation carries its own ornament. Inside, the main parlor has an acanthus plaster ceiling medallion and egg-and-dart cornice. The exterior has bracketed eaves, Doric corner capitals and distinctive brick chimneys. Some changes have been made: the north porch is enclosed, the east porch was replaced, and aluminum siding covers the walls. A smokehouse and a storehouse remain behind the house. Hill's 1860 holdings included 133 slaves and more than 2,800 acres, and the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad ran past his plantation. The house passed through his descendants. It was listed as one of the best-preserved Italianate plantation houses in the county.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the best-preserved Italianate plantation houses in Duplin County. It has lavish wooden and plaster ornament and an unusual cruciform plan echoed by center-bay porches on all four elevations. It is also tied to Buckner L. Hill, a prominent planter and self-taught physician.
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 75001255, listed December 6, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SE of Faison on SR 1354, Faison |
|---|---|
| County | Duplin County |
| Listed | December 6, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001255 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate (vernacular), with Greek Revival elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent and altered; the form says it is used as a private residence and the owner lives there. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 35.08350, -78.08666 (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 75001255.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18379270
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.