Speight-Bynum House
Why it's listed
Built around 1850 near Walstonsburg in Greene County, this two-story, double-pile, central-hall frame house is a Greek Revival plantation residence. Its features include corner pilasters, deep eaves with scroll-sawn brackets, a hipped tin roof, and a front porch with panelled posts. The interior retains original plaster cornices, a cast plaster ceiling medallion, and a turned stair. James Pell Speight, a state senator from 1852 to 1861, had the house built on land received from his father. His farm once held more than 2,000 acres. After the deaths of Speight and his wife, the property passed to Appie Wooten Bynum and then to her descendants, who added an east wing in 1938 and rear additions in the 1950s. A smokehouse from the same period survives, along with twentieth-century farm buildings. The house is considered one of several similar mid-nineteenth century plantation seats in the county, probably by the same unknown builder, which reflect its prosperous agricultural society.
Significance in brief: The house is a prominent member of a small group of well-crafted antebellum Greek Revival plantation houses in Greene County that reflect the county's prosperous mid-nineteenth century agricultural society. It was the seat of a large farm owned by state senator James Pell Speight, and it is eligible for its architecture.
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 92000148, listed March 12, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1231 W side, 0.4 mi. N of jct. with NC 1232, Walstonsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | March 12, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000148 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Well maintained with relatively few alterations; still a working farm residence and occupied by descendants of the Bynum family. |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Coordinates | 35.58489, -77.76432 (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 92000148.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18711659
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.