Harrington-Dewar House
Why it's listed
Set at the end of a dirt and gravel road near the Cokesbury community, this two-story frame I-house with a rear ell reflects how a rural North Carolina home grew over time. The oldest part, now the rear wing, began as a one-room dwelling with a loft, later gained a dining room, and was then fronted by a three-bay I-house with plain Greek Revival details such as corner pilasters, a transom over the entrance, and two-panel doors. Historically it was a farmhouse, linked to farmer John Tyler Harrington and later to the Dewar family. After years of vacancy it faced burning in 1977, when it was instead moved less than five miles to its present eleven-acre site. Its chimneys, foundation, and porch were rebuilt after the move. It is considered significant because it shows the evolution from one-room house to I-house more clearly than any other surviving example in Harnett County.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be a very intact local example of two common North Carolina house types: the one-room, story-and-a-loft dwelling and the I-house with simple Greek Revival detailing. Physical evidence shows the house grew from a one-room dwelling to a two-room house and then to an I-house, an evolution not found elsewhere in Harnett County. It qualifies under Criterion C, and Criteria Consideration B for relocation because the new setting is similar to the original.
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 08001363, listed January 23, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 994 Fred Burns Rd., Holly Springs |
|---|---|
| County | Harnett County |
| Listed | January 23, 2009 |
| Reference number | 08001363 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Mid-19th century, third quarter of the 19th century |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century - Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Carefully maintained since its 1977 move; used as a single-dwelling residence. It sat vacant for roughly twenty or more years before the move. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.57018, -80.01343 (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 08001363.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19462200
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.