Newsome, James, House
Also known as: Wynnewood
Why it's listed
Wynnewood is a two-story, three-bay frame house in rural Hertford County, North Carolina, built in the late Federal style on a rise overlooking the junction of NC 11 and NC 42. It was probably built in the 1820s or early 1830s for James Eley Newsome, a small planter who held fifteen slaves and more than 1,000 acres by 1860. The interior keeps a hall-and-parlor plan, fielded-panel wainscot and mantels with early Greek Revival cornerblocks. Similar mantels appear in nearby houses, including the Mitchell-Gordon House, and local family tradition credits these houses to Drew Hollomon, a free black carpenter. Several antebellum outbuildings survive, among them a former slave cabin, a smokehouse, a barn and two small frame buildings that served as an office and extra sleeping quarters. The house passed through Newsome's daughter and later descendants, and a restoration between 1974 and 1978 preserved it as an example of a prosperous planter's farm complex in antebellum eastern North Carolina.
Significance in brief: The house represents the unpretentious but substantial frame plantation dwellings of eastern North Carolina in the early nineteenth century. It was the home of James Eley Newsome, a planter with fifteen slaves and over 1,000 acres. It shares architectural features, especially mantels, with neighboring houses that family tradition attributes to free black carpenter Drew Hollomon.
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 84000803, listed December 28, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 11 at jct. NC 42, Ahoskie |
|---|---|
| County | Hertford County |
| Listed | December 28, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000803 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Attributed to Drew Hollomon |
| Architectural style | Late Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition, occupied as a private residence; restored 1974-1978 by the present owner, with a former slave cabin returned to its place beside the house. |
| Acreage | 103 |
| Coordinates | 36.27975, -77.05612 (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 84000803.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18749720
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.