McLean, Dr. Joseph A., House
Why it's listed
Set on a small knoll beside US 70 near Sedalia, this two-story frame house was built about 1850 for Dr. Joseph A. McLean, a locally prominent physician, around the time of his marriage to Elizabeth Wharton. It completely overbuilt an earlier log hall-and-parlor dwelling, probably put up by the Wharton family in the 1830s. The main block is one room deep and three bays wide, with weatherboard siding, a low gable roof, and a one-story pedimented portico with simplified Doric columns. A rear ell was added later. Inside, a center-hall plan, wide horizontal board walls, two-panel grained doors, and simple post-and-lintel mantels survive largely intact. Three outbuildings stand behind the house, including an early log house with a loft. McLean practiced medicine from the home and farmed the surrounding land. The house was listed for architecture as one of a few well-preserved vernacular Greek Revival houses in rural Guilford County, and the only I-House among them.
Significance in brief: The house is locally significant in architecture under Criterion C as one of a small group of well-preserved vernacular Greek Revival houses in rural Guilford County, and the only one that is an I-House. Its pedimented entrance portico recalls the Dr. Shubal Coffin House in Jamestown. The interior plan and finish are remarkably unaltered.
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 94001632, listed February 2, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | US 70 N side, 0.1 mi. W of jct. with NC 3053, Sedalia |
|---|---|
| County | Guilford County |
| Listed | February 2, 1995 |
| Reference number | 94001632 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (vernacular) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in family ownership; rented to a contractor who is restoring the interior. Surrounding farmland is slated for residential subdivision. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 36.07087, -79.63143 (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 94001632.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987057
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.