Roberts-Vaughan House
Why it's listed
Roberts-Vaughan House is a frame dwelling at 130 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. It began as a two-story gable-roofed house, and its east portion is thought to have been built by Benjamin Roberts, a wealthy local businessman and early trustee of Hertford Academy, in the first decade of the 1800s. Uriah Vaughan acquired the property about 1835 and enlarged it during the Greek Revival period, adding a central tetrastyle pedimented portico with reeded Doric columns. A bracketed cornice with pierced dentils and fretwork wraps the house. Inside, a center-passage plan holds a stair with ornamental brackets and marbelized treads, plus plaster walls over wainscot with wood graining and original Federal mantels in the older section. The house was listed as one of Murfreesboro's most ornate vernacular buildings and as a valuable example of ante-bellum decorative painting. The local historical association acquired it and planned restoration for a community library and offices.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls the house one of the most ornate vernacular structures in Murfreesboro. Its intricate cornice work and its original marbelizing and wood graining are cited as a valuable example of decorating techniques in ante-bellum North Carolina. It is also tied to Benjamin Roberts, a wealthy local businessman, and to Uriah Vaughan, who enlarged it.
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 71000595, listed February 18, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 130 E. Main St., Murfreesboro |
|---|---|
| County | Hertford County |
| Listed | February 18, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000595 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin Roberts (thought to have built the east portion); Uriah Vaughan (enlarged the house) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival additions to an earlier Federal-era frame house; described as vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition and unoccupied, with preservation work in progress. The Murfreesboro Historical Association plans to restore it for use as a community library and offices. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Murfreesboro Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.44265, -77.09996 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 71000595.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20679824
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.