Ragsdale Farm
Also known as: Magnolia Farms
Why it's listed
Ragsdale Farm is a country estate of about thirty-nine acres in Jamestown, North Carolina, set between East Main Street and the Southern Railway tracks. Joseph Sinclair Ragsdale bought the first part of the farm in 1866, and later generations of his family turned it from a working farm into a prosperous country estate. The main house grew in stages, with an 1880 enlargement and a 1900 remodeling that gave it its Colonial Revival character, followed by Georgian interior work in 1948. Around it are tenant houses, a horse barn, a cow barn, coops, a corncrib and other outbuildings, along with formal gardens and open pastures. The family shaped local industry through leadership of the Oakdale Cotton Mill. Virginia Ragsdale earned a doctorate in mathematics from Bryn Mawr in 1903 and later headed the mathematics department at North Carolina College for Women. The property was recognized for its connections to industry, education, agriculture and architecture between 1866 and 1941.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is locally significant under criteria A, B and C for industry, education, agriculture and architecture. The Ragsdale family led Jamestown's Oakdale Cotton Mill, and Virginia Ragsdale earned a Ph.D. in mathematics and taught at N.C. Woman's College. The house, outbuildings and landscape show the shift from a typical nineteenth-century farm to a prosperous twentieth-century estate.
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 91001171, listed September 3, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 404 E. Main St., Jamestown |
|---|---|
| County | Guilford County |
| Listed | September 3, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001171 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1866-1941 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival; Other: Traditional Agricultural |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Agriculture, Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as retaining a high level of integrity; the house, gardens and outbuildings remain, though the pastures are no longer cultivated. Current functions include single dwelling, garden and agricultural outbuildings. |
| Acreage | 39 |
| Coordinates | 35.99561, -79.93228 (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 91001171.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987724
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.