Old Town Plantation
Why it's listed
Built around 1742, this one-and-a-half story frame plantation house near Battleboro is believed to be the oldest surviving dwelling in Edgecombe County. Samuel Holliman is thought to have built it, and Elisha Battle, founder of a prominent North Carolina family, bought it in 1747. Battle served as a justice of the peace, a commissioner for the town of Tarboro and a long-time legislator. The house has a gambrel roof, a brick foundation, a hall-and-parlor plan, double-shouldered Flemish bond chimneys, gable dormers and a Georgian paneled mantel. By the early 1980s a large hog operation threatened to surround it at its original site. In June 1983 it was moved less than a mile west onto land from Battle's original tract, together with an 1834 slave cabin, the last of many such dwellings. Restoration uncovered original beaded ceilings, wainscoting and flooring behind sheet rock.
Significance in brief: The house is believed to be the oldest surviving dwelling in Edgecombe County and an important remnant of the early influx of planters into North Carolina's upper coastal plain. It is also tied to the Battle family through Elisha Battle, who bought it in 1747 and served in many public roles. It is notable for its architecture, including a gambrel roof, Flemish bond chimneys and a Georgian mantel.
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 72000961, listed December 1, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Off NC 97, Battleboro |
|---|---|
| County | Edgecombe County |
| Listed | December 1, 1983 |
| Reference number | 72000961 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (believed built by Samuel Holliman) |
| Architectural style | Georgian details; gambrel-roofed frame house on a hall-and-parlor plan |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved June 10, 1983, from a site next to a hog operation to a new site. The owners are restoring the house, and original interior woodwork was found beneath sheet rock. The slave cabin is in very poor condition. |
| Acreage | 10.1 |
| Coordinates | 35.98229, -77.73112 (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 72000961.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18711629
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.