Magnolia Grove (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
Magnolia Grove is a two-story, five-bay brick plantation house in southern Lincoln County, North Carolina, built in 1824 for David and Elizabeth Arendt Smith. It is a Federal style house that dominates its clearing, and it received a compatible frame rear addition during its restoration in the early 1970s. The house sits on a 12.92-acre tract that is the remaining land of the original 395-acre plantation, most of it now second-growth forest. Southwest of the house stands a stand of young bigleaf magnolia trees, a rare deciduous species that gave the plantation its name. Mature trees there were destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and new trees have grown from their roots. The boundary expansion was submitted to define a setting that the earlier listing had left undescribed. Archaeological features on the tract, including a probable tavern site and stone springhouse, are linked by tradition to Henry Dellinger's tavern of the 1770s and 1780s.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the house is a handsome example of Federal style plantation architecture, and that the boundary expansion is needed because the original 1972 listing included three undefined acres. The enlarged 12.92-acre tract is the residual acreage of the original 395-acre plantation and forms an appropriate rural setting for the house. The property is also associated with a rare bigleaf magnolia grove that gave the plantation its name, and with a possible eighteenth-century tavern site.
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 97000570, listed June 27, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct of NC 1309 and NC 1313, Iron Station |
|---|---|
| County | Lincoln County |
| Listed | June 27, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000570 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1824 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in the early 1970s; three small non-contributing outbuildings added since 1971. |
| Acreage | 12.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.41859, -81.17456 (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.
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 97000570.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19986900
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.