Griffin, W.W., Farm
Why it's listed
This farm in Martin County, North Carolina, centers on a two-story frame I-house built around 1902 by William W. Griffin. The house has weatherboard siding, a three-bay front with six-over-six windows, a decorated porch with turned posts and scalloped trim, and a rear ell containing the kitchen. A small detached room was added about 1930, when Griffin returned from a sanitarium after tuberculosis. The house was wired for electricity about 1946 but never received indoor plumbing or central heating. The nominated 6.8 acres include a corn crib, cotton barn, hay barn, storage shed, brick well, vineyards, a farm lane and cultivated fields, with a 1994 ranch house and a 1970 machinery shed counted as non-contributing. Griffin eventually accumulated over 1,200 acres, grew crops such as cotton, tobacco, corn and peanuts, and took part in local civic and timber affairs. The property was listed for its architecture and as an intact early-twentieth-century farmstead, with a period of significance from about 1902 to 1940.
Significance in brief: The farmhouse is argued to be one of the best remaining examples of a stylish I-house in Martin County, nearly unaltered since construction (Criterion C). The farm is also an intact example of a representative early-twentieth-century North Carolina farmstead (Criterion A, agriculture).
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 01001134, listed October 20, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1871 Wendell Griffin Rd., Williamston |
|---|---|
| County | Martin County |
| Listed | October 20, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01001134 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1902 - 1940 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and early 20th century: Other: I-house |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied until 1995; somewhat deteriorated from neglect but structurally sound, and undergoing renovation following the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. |
| Acreage | 6.8 |
| Coordinates | 35.82932, -76.95782 (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 01001134.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19462088
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.