Biggs, Asa, House and Site
Also known as: 31 Mt 64
Why it's listed
Begun in 1835 at the corner of Church and Smithwick streets in Williamston, this house was the home of Asa Biggs (1811-1878), a North Carolina lawyer, congressman, U.S. senator, and federal and later Confederate district judge. It began as a two-story, side-hall-plan house in the late Federal style. Biggs added rooms as his family of ten children grew, and the later additions use a plain, locally interpreted Greek Revival style. The result is a nearly T-shaped plan with an awkward but distinctive front facade that records the sequence of enlargements. Original Federal interiors survive. Biggs's family left the house in 1862 when Union troops approached the town, and his law office was ransacked. Archaeological digging in 1978 uncovered the original brick sidewalk and indicated refuse pits, suggesting that outbuildings and other features may remain. The property is now owned by the Martin County Historical Society, which uses it as its headquarters.
Significance in brief: The house is the building most closely associated with Asa Biggs, a prominent North Carolina jurist and politician who lived there from 1835 until his family left during the Civil War. It is also a representative example of regional vernacular building, blending Federal and Greek Revival details through successive additions. Archaeological work on the lot found an original brick sidewalk and refuse pits that could yield further information.
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 79003335, listed October 10, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 100 E. Church St., Williamston |
|---|---|
| County | Martin County |
| Listed | October 10, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003335 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1838-1865 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Federal with vernacular Greek Revival additions |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Martin County Historical Society and used as its headquarters; condition listed as good. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | Williamston Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.85627, -77.05635 (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 79003335.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460529
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.