Howard, Kenneth L., House
Also known as: Women's Club of Dunn,Inc.
Why it's listed
Built in 1908-1909 in Dunn, Harnett County, the Kenneth L. Howard House is a two-story Colonial Revival mansion with a full-height free Ionic portico, a hipped roof with a mock widow's walk, and a symmetrical center-hall double-pile plan. It was modeled closely on the North Carolina Building designed by Zimmerman and Lester of Winston-Salem for the Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exposition of 1907, which the state had funded and which was completed in June 1907. Howard, a lumberman and farmer, and his wife Florence owned the house until their deaths. Their daughter Lucille Hooper lived there afterward, and the Woman's Club bought it in 1953. The interior retains oak woodwork, Tuscan-column mantels, and a free-standing stair. The house is significant as a surviving copy of a state exhibition building, since the original was later moved and remodeled beyond recognition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house has statewide architectural and historical significance for its own qualities and for its association with North Carolina's participation in the Jamestown Exposition. Its design follows the state building that the exposition displayed, and it is described as an unusually handsome example of large Colonial Revival houses of the pre-World War I period. It also reflects the career of Kenneth Lewis Howard, a pioneer lumberman and farmer in Dunn.
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 82003465, listed August 19, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 400 S. Layton Ave., Dunn |
|---|---|
| County | Harnett County |
| Listed | August 19, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003465 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908-1909 |
| Architect / builder | Zimmerman and Lester (architects of the model North Carolina Building; house builder not separately named) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Woman's Club has used the house as its headquarters since 1953. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.30755, -78.61588 (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 82003465.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19462424
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.