Stovall, John W., Farm
Why it's listed
Set on 54 acres near the town of Stovall in Granville County, North Carolina, this family tobacco farm is centered on a farmhouse of two parts, both built before the Civil War. The two-story western half was already standing as a Presbyterian glebe house when John W. and Lucy Stovall bought the farm in 1839. The Stovalls added the one-and-a-half-story eastern half shortly before the war. The woodwork mixes Federal and Greek Revival details, including a transitional parlor mantel with Greek fret blocks. Nearby are a stable, corncrib, smokehouses, a lumber house, a packhouse, four log tobacco barns and a family cemetery. John Stovall was a prosperous planter whose name was given to the nearby town after he granted the railroad a right-of-way. The farm is valued as one of the county's older intact dwellings and as a record of bright leaf tobacco farming through 1937, and it has stayed in the family since 1839.
Significance in brief: The house is one of the older intact dwellings in Granville County and a well-maintained example of Federal and Greek Revival architecture. The surviving outbuildings also represent life on a traditional bright leaf tobacco farm. The period of significance ends in 1937 because later farming has not achieved exceptional significance within the past 50 years.
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 88001270, listed August 31, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1507, Stovall |
|---|---|
| County | Granville County |
| Listed | August 31, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001270 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1830s-1937 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house is described as meticulously maintained and is still used as a dwelling and farm; the farm has remained in the same family since 1839. |
| Acreage | 54 |
| Coordinates | 36.45658, -78.55593 (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).
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 88001270.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q24436231
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.