Kenansville Historic District (Boundary Decrease)
Why it's listed
This amendment removes ten parcels, about 11.3 acres, from the southwestern edge of the Kenansville Historic District in Duplin County, North Carolina. The area lies along the north side of South Main Street (NC 24) and the west side of Stokes Street. When the district was listed in 1975, the area included three contributing resources: the circa 1850 Greek Revival Old Methodist Parsonage, the circa 1850 Blount House, and the Pearsall House. The parsonage was moved in 2000 and the Blount House in 2002, both to a property northwest of the district. The Pearsall House burned in 1986, and only its chimney remains. The parcels now hold a temporary bank structure, a vacant site slated for a permanent bank, a restaurant, a gas station, a building supply business and several modern residences, all noncontributing. Because the historic resources that justified inclusion are gone, the area was taken out of the district. The remaining boundary keeps one noncontributing property beside the Hinson House to stay valid.
Significance in brief: The removed area no longer holds the historic resources that originally contributed to the district, which was listed in 1975. Two contributing houses were moved away and a third burned, leaving only noncontributing buildings and vacant or newly used sites. The reduction corrects the district boundary to reflect what survives.
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 03001271, listed December 9, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NC 24, cic. of Bostic and Stokes Sts., Stokes St from S. Main St. to Seminary St.,, Kenansville |
|---|---|
| County | Duplin County |
| Listed | December 9, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03001271 |
| Resource type | District |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Old Methodist Parsonage parcel holds a temporary bank structure; the Blount House site is vacant, with a permanent bank building planned. The Pearsall House burned in 1986, leaving only its chimney. |
| Acreage | 11.3 |
| Coordinates | 34.95775, -77.96881 (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).
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 03001271.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.