Rountree Family Farm
Also known as: Alfred Patrick Rountree Farm
Why it's listed
Set on roughly 87 acres of fields, woodland and house grounds about 2.5 miles north of Gatesville, the Rountree Family Farm holds two family houses, outbuildings and a family cemetery. The Simmons Rountree House, a two-story frame house with a one-room plan, was built about 1830 by Simmons Rountree, grandson of Abner Rountree, who acquired the original 140-acre tract in 1800. Its interior is largely intact, with a full wainscot, a post-and-lintel mantel and an enclosed stair. The Alfred Patrick Rountree House was built in 1904 by carpenter Tom Beamon, an African American craftsman, and enlarged in 1916. The farm is listed for its architecture and its agriculture. The family privy, with three graduated openings on a boarded bench, is regarded as one of the few surviving examples of its type in the region and probably the state. The farm's landscape records four generations of family farming.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is one of very few places in Gates County owned and occupied by a single family for about two centuries, with buildings reflecting both domestic and agricultural life over roughly 170 years. The Simmons Rountree House is described as an intact exemplar of its type in the county, and the 1904 house and the family privy are cited as rare surviving examples of their kinds in the region.
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 00000881, listed August 2, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 049 NC 37 N, Gatesville |
|---|---|
| County | Gates County |
| Listed | August 2, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000881 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1830 - 1950 |
| Architect / builder | Beamon, Tom-builder; Hayes, Charles--builder |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Simmons Rountree House has not been occupied as a residence since 1907 but has been maintained; the farm is owned by Annie Elizabeth Rountree, who continues to occupy the Alfred Patrick Rountree House. |
| Acreage | 87.3 |
| Coordinates | 36.44356, -76.75413 (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 00000881.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q21187963
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.