Brown, Wiley and Jane Vann, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1850 on farmland northwest of Ahoskie, this two-story farmhouse in Hertford County, North Carolina, shows how Greek Revival style was adapted to a modest rural dwelling. The timber frame house has a central passage plan, corner pilasters, reeded window and door surrounds with rosette corner blocks, and a gable-front porch with a pediment. Inside, the original wood floors, four mantels, four-panel doors and an enclosed stair survive, an unusual arrangement for the period. Its original pedimented porch roof is described as extremely rare and possibly the only one left in rural Hertford County. The house was built for Wiley Brown and Jane Vann Brown, and it remained in the Brown family through several generations of farmers and merchants. A porch restoration and a rear addition were completed in 2004-2005. A ca. 1850 cider barn on the property is another rare antebellum survivor, while two sheds from the mid-twentieth century are later additions.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as an excellent example of a vernacular Greek Revival farmhouse, with its original finishes intact, including four mantels, reeded surrounds, rosette corner blocks and an enclosed stair. Its original pedimented portico roof is described as an extremely rare survivor and possibly the only one left in rural Hertford County. The ca. 1850 cider barn is noted as a rare antebellum survivor.
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 07000073, listed February 13, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1108, 0.5 mi. N. of NC 561, Union |
|---|---|
| County | Hertford County |
| Listed | February 13, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000073 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850 |
| 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) | Still used as a single dwelling with agricultural outbuildings; the porch was restored in 2004-2005 and a rear addition was built in 2005. |
| Acreage | 20 |
| Coordinates | 36.32095, -77.02890 (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 07000073.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460697
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.