Blue, Daniel, House
Also known as: Highlanders Farm
Why it's listed
Built around 1795 in Moore County, North Carolina, the River Daniel Blue House is a two-story, gable-roof log house with hand-hewn pegged sills set on lightwood blocks and large stones. Its walls were weatherboarded, and the interior includes heart pine sheathing, a stair with square balusters and a molded handrail, and two stepped-shoulder chimneys. The house takes its name from Scot settler River Daniel Blue, who bought it in 1804, and his descendants farmed the surrounding land for generations. Additions were made in the nineteenth century and in 1918, when a kitchen ell was built and the loft was finished. The nomination regards it as one of the few surviving log houses of its period and as an example of how such a structure changed over time. Its farm also illustrates the Scottish Highlander settlement of the Sandhills and the farm economy of North Carolina. Outbuildings on the property include a one-room log structure and a former turpentine depot on a rail line.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the few surviving log houses of its period and shows how an early log structure evolved over time. It also associates the property with Scot settler River Daniel Blue, who bought it in 1804, and with his descendants who farmed the land, and with the Scottish Highlander immigration into the Sandhills.
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 83001897, listed July 21, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1836, Carthage |
|---|---|
| County | Moore County |
| Listed | July 21, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001897 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1795 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house is empty, having been occupied by the owner's mother until her death in 1980. |
| Acreage | 178 |
| Coordinates | 35.28202, -79.42526 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 83001897.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460580
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.