White Oak Plantation
Also known as: Johnston,William,House
Why it's listed
White Oak Plantation is a two-story brick house northeast of Charlotte, built by William Johnston, traditionally in 1792, on land he bought in 1784. Johnston was a captain in the North Carolina militia at the Battle of King's Mountain in 1780 and a substantial planter whose daughters married into prominent Mecklenburg families. The brick is laid in Flemish bond, and the house belongs to the Catawba River Valley School. Its original Quaker plan was converted early to a center hall plan. Inside, the Federal style trim, stair brackets and mantels are finely detailed and relate to those at Holly Bend and Oakwood plantations. A large porch and a rear kitchen wing are later additions, described as reversible. The property stayed in the Johnston family until the 1840s and later passed through the Morris, Cross and Grier families. After years of neglect and vandalism it was renovated, and three outbuildings remain near the house.
Significance in brief: The house was the home of William Johnston, a Battle of King's Mountain veteran and substantial planter whose daughters married into the county gentry. Its Flemish bond brickwork, original (now altered) Quaker plan and finely detailed interior woodwork, mixing late Georgian and early Federal styles, are characteristic of traditional Piedmont architecture. The woodwork is related to that of Holly Bend and Oakwood plantations.
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 78001966, listed February 7, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E of Charlotte on SR 2826, Charlotte |
|---|---|
| County | Mecklenburg County |
| Listed | February 7, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001966 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architect / builder | William Johnston (according to local tradition) |
| Architectural style | Catawba River Valley School; Quaker plan converted to center hall; late Georgian and early Federal interior detailing |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; carefully renovated by its current owners after a period of neglect and vandalism. Altered by a large two-story porch and a rear kitchen wing. |
| Acreage | 14.1 |
| Coordinates | 35.24858, -80.69037 (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 78001966.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q21016340
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.