Cowper-Thompson House
Also known as: William Cowper House; Reverend Thompson House
Why it's listed
Built about 1790 in Murfreesboro, a town founded in 1787 on the Meherrin River, this one-and-a-half-story weatherboard house combines Georgian and Federal woodwork with a distinctive row of five dormer windows across its front facade. The nomination treats it as one of the few surviving dwellings in northeastern North Carolina that recall Tidewater Virginia building traditions, and it says no other known North Carolina house of its late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth century date has a similar dormer arrangement. Its early owners included William Cowper and later the Reverend George Matthias Thompson, who bought it in 1839 and helped establish a Baptist congregation in the town. Restored by its present owners between 1978 and 1980, the house keeps much of its original sash, surrounds and reeded Federal mantel. The nomination rests its listing on local architectural significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is architecturally significant locally and regionally for its surviving Tidewater Virginia-related building traditions and its quintet of dormer windows across the facade, which it says has no other known North Carolina parallel among houses of the period. It also notes the house's association with the Cowper and Thompson families, including Reverend George Matthias Thompson, who was involved in founding a Baptist congregation and Chowan Baptist Female Institute.
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 91001908, listed January 9, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 405 North St., Murfreesboro |
|---|---|
| County | Hertford County |
| Listed | January 9, 1992 |
| Reference number | 91001908 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1790 |
| Architectural style | Transitional Georgian/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1978-1980 by the owners; now in use as a seasonal residence by the owners. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 36.44543, -77.09650 (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 91001908.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19461179
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.