Roberts-Justice House
Why it's listed
Built in 1877 of common-bond brick for merchant and tobacco manufacturer Calvin Roberts, this L-plan house on North Main Street in Kernersville is one of four surviving two-story brick Italianate dwellings from the town's 1870s boom. Stone lintels and sills mark its openings, and an original kitchen ell remains at the rear. Dr. J. T. Justice, who cared for Roberts in his final years, bought the house in 1909 and remodeled it by about 1916. The roof became a hip with smaller gables, the gable ends were stuccoed with colored glass chips, a rear ell was added, and the porch was rebuilt with a porte cochere. Inside, Colonial Revival mantels and dark mahogany woodwork replaced the original trim and survive largely intact, with a stained glass stair landing window and bevelled glass at the entry. The interiors are comparable to those of the George Virgil Fulp House and rank among the finest in town. A contributing 1910s garage stands behind.
Significance in brief: It is one of four surviving two-story brick Italianate houses from Kernersville's 1870s boom period. It also keeps intact Colonial Revival interiors from about 1916, with mahogany trim, mantels, hall arch and stair, among the finest surviving in town. The significance is local and rests on architecture.
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 88000129, listed February 25, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 133 N. Main St., Kernersville |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | February 25, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000129 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1877 - ca. 1916 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late 19th century Italianate; Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as beautifully maintained and still lived in as a single dwelling; the rear garage is contributing and a mid-twentieth-century block storage building is noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.12054, -80.07281 (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 88000129.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q24436214
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.