Blackwell, James, House
Why it's listed
This modest one-story-and-loft house near Cornwall in Granville County was built in the 1820s or early 1830s for James Blackwell, a planter whose slaveholding grew from four people in 1830 to 27 by 1860. Its hall-parlor plan was typical of small planters' homes, yet the interior is unusually refined. Walls are sheathed in wide beaded boards, doors are raised six-panel types with three-part surrounds, and two reeded vernacular Federal mantels are the most striking features. A tiny shed room on the east end, called the whiskey room by descendants, recalls Blackwell's reputed licensed distillery. Few houses of this class survive, and none has been altered less, particularly inside. The nominated area covers about 12 acres, including the house and its fields as a contributing site, plus two noncontributing tobacco barns. The period of significance ends in 1865 with the plantation era. The house has been unoccupied since 1948 but remains sound.
Significance in brief: It is one of the most finely finished and intact hall-parlor plan houses in Granville County, representing the homes of the county's small planters. Its Georgian and Federal interior, including reeded vernacular Federal mantels, is little altered. The small "whiskey room" recalls the local production of licensed liquor.
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 88000407, listed April 28, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1411, Cornwall |
|---|---|
| County | Granville County |
| Listed | April 28, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000407 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1820s-early 1830s to 1865 |
| Architectural style | Federal; Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unoccupied since 1948 but in solid condition and maintained by its owners; the front porch is gone and the east chimney has a replacement brick stack. |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Coordinates | 36.46116, -78.69114 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 88000407.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460556
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.