Wynne's Folly
Also known as: Clarke House
Why it's listed
Wynne's Folly is a two-story frame plantation house west of Engelhard in Hyde County, North Carolina, built in the late 1840s for Richard Inge Wynne. Tradition holds that he built it to impress a young woman who then married someone else, which gave the house its nickname. The building is nearly cubical, five bays wide and five deep, measuring 40 by 40 feet, with a shallow pyramidal roof and paired interior end chimneys. Heavy corner pilasters, a wide frieze and a Doric entrance emphasize its boxy mass. Inside, intersecting halls form a T-shaped plan, with an arch, marbleized baseboards and delicate anthemion carving on the stair brackets and mantels. In 1850 Wynne was among the county's leading planters, though he left the area by 1860. Dr. Edward Clarke, a noted surgeon, bought the property in 1882, and his family has owned it since. It is valued as the most ambitious surviving antebellum house in the county.
Significance in brief: It is described as the most ambitious of the surviving antebellum houses in sparsely settled Hyde County. Its simple, spacious form is enriched by delicate classical ornament, including anthemion motifs. The nomination also notes its association with planter Richard Wynne and later with Dr. Edward Clarke, a prominent local physician, and the Clarke family.
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 77001002, listed December 6, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Engelhard on U.S. 264, Engelhard |
|---|---|
| County | Hyde County |
| Listed | December 6, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001002 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked unoccupied and in good condition; the porches are missing and the walls are covered with asbestos shingles. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 35.50045, -76.02770 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 77001002.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18749726
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.