Person-McGhee Farm
Why it's listed
Set in a self-contained valley south of the Tar River at Chavis Bridge in Franklin County, the Person-McGhee Farm combines an early nineteenth-century house with a large Queen Anne style residence built in the 1890s in front of it. The older core is a three-bay, two-story frame dwelling over a stone cellar with a modillion cornice and a two-room plan. Land was acquired by Joseph A. Person in 1846 through a division of his father's estate. In 1883 the property passed to Wyatt Lemuel McGhee, a merchant whose general store and tobacco warehouse made him a prominent Franklinton figure. McGhee terraced the hillsides and planted plum, peach, apple and mulberry trees. Later generations shifted the farm toward poultry, strip-cropping and cattle. The house and its outbuildings are valued as a group that shows how farming practice changed over a century, and the open views across the valley are regarded as the farm's most distinctive quality.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the farm's main importance lies in its exceptional rural setting and its well-preserved collection of outbuildings, which document changes in farming from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. The house is cited as a representative Federal-period domestic building in Franklin County and as one of the most elaborate Queen Anne style houses in the county. The farm is also linked to Wyatt Lemuel McGhee, a merchant whose furnishing business and orchard terracing are described in detail.
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 79003343, listed June 26, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | US 1, Franklinton |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | June 26, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003343 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Federal; Queen Anne; Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a farm; pasture for black Angus cattle; the property is held as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 500 |
| Coordinates | 36.16153, -78.45234 (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 79003343.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987521
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.