Jones-Wright House
Also known as: Polly Wright House
Why it's listed
Built about 1790 as a single-pile, three-bay frame house on an ashlar granite foundation, the Jones-Wright House has nine-over-nine windows, a modillioned boxed cornice, and double-shouldered Flemish bond chimneys. Probably built for Daniel Jones, a captain in the Continental Army who later served in the state legislature, it passed through several planter families and was rented out for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Its hall and parlor plan keeps original Late Georgian woodwork, including flat-panel wainscoting, six-panel doors with three-part surrounds, and fluted mantels. A rear shed wing, added in the early nineteenth century, and later additions show how the house grew over time. The house is regarded as a well-crafted and relatively intact example of its type, and its woodwork and cornice are closely compared with other surviving Georgian houses in Franklin County.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-crafted and relatively intact example of a Late Georgian plantation house and a member of a notable but dwindling group of similar houses built for small planters and moderately well-to-do farmers in the county. Its ornate modillion cornice is considered distinctive, and its interior woodwork and mantels are typical of the period. The nomination also links the house to Daniel Jones, a Revolutionary War captain, and to Mary D. 'Polly' Wright, a planter's daughter who was long associated with it.
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 92000149, listed March 12, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1003 W side, 0.2 mi. S of jct. with NC 1252, Rocky Ford |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | March 12, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000149 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1790-ca. 1840 |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restoration work was underway, with replacement siding, a new wood shingle roof and a reconstructed portico; the house was previously rented out and allowed to deteriorate. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 36.21249, -78.34791 (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 92000149.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18711591
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.