Martin, Harden Thomas, House
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Why it's listed
Set among mature oaks just west of downtown Greensboro, this two-and-a-half-story frame house was completed in early 1909 for Harden Thomas Martin, a Rockingham County storekeeper who moved to Greensboro in semi-retirement and dabbled in real estate. Greensboro architect G. Will Armfield, a former dry goods merchant who took up architecture in his late fifties, designed it. The Colonial Revival residence is best known for its bowed two-story portico with four fluted Ionic columns and terra cotta capitals, a full-width porch, and a porte-cochere. Inside, a twelve-foot center hall holds a split-run staircase and a columned portal, and all eight fireplaces retain their original mantels, tile and coal grates. The house is the only known residential design by Armfield. It was listed as a rare, remarkably well-preserved survivor of early Colonial Revival architecture in a city where most such houses were lost to redevelopment, and for its ties to Armfield and Martin.
Significance in brief: The house is one of a dwindling number of fine early Colonial Revival residences surviving in Greensboro, with a bowed two-story Ionic portico, a wide center hall with split-run stair, and largely intact interior trim. It is also the only known residential design of G. Will Armfield, a merchant who became an architect late in life, and was built for merchant Harden Thomas Martin.
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 85003217, listed December 19, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 204 N. Mendenhall St., Greensboro |
|---|---|
| County | Guilford County |
| Listed | December 19, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003217 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1909 |
| Architect / builder | G. Will Armfield |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; described as unaltered, in good condition, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 36.07455, -79.80216 (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 85003217.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19986968
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.