Moore, Walter R. and Eliza Smith, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1835 as a two-story, four-bay frame house on a brick foundation, the Walter R. and Eliza Moore House sits on a hill above Raleigh Road in Johnston County. Its exterior woodwork is the reason for its listing. A modillioned cornice with punch-and-gouge work above guilloche runs around the building, and a two-story portico has heavy turned posts instead of classical columns. The two front doors share a pedimented surround with a large keystone. The nomination describes these details as Federal in character, with some features more typical of the Georgian period. It compares the woodwork to that of the Roberts-Vaughn House in Hertford County and suggests a single craftsman may have worked on both. The interior retains its original floors, mantels, doors, and surrounds, although the first-floor plan was changed in the 1990s. Several outbuildings from different periods stand nearby.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the house has outstanding exterior woodwork, including an elaborate modillioned cornice, a two-story portico with turned posts, and a pilastered pedimented surround over the entrances, in a vernacular hall-parlor plan. It states that the exterior trim and porch survive in rare condition among antebellum dwellings in the coastal plain of North Carolina, and that no comparable buildings from the period survive in Johnston County.
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 05000379, listed May 4, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3919 Raleigh Rd., Clayton |
|---|---|
| County | Johnston County |
| Listed | May 4, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000379 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1835 |
| Architectural style | Other: Vernacular Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house was renovated and restored in the early 1990s and has replacement windows; the kitchen wing was renovated in the early 1990s. |
| Acreage | 8.2 |
| Coordinates | 35.55223, -78.52835 (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 05000379.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987168
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.