Blue, Malcolm, Farm
Why it's listed
Set along Bethesda Road between Southern Pines and Aberdeen, the Malcolm Blue Farm is a complex of white-painted buildings centred on a one-story frame house. The house was built in the second quarter of the nineteenth century by Malcolm McMillan Blue, a farmer and elder of the Bethesda Presbyterian congregation for forty years. Its interior keeps Federal and Greek Revival details, including mantels with distinctive pilasters and four-panel doors thought to date from about 1850. Its rear ell appears to be built from older materials, and its framing shows that the eastern portion of the house is earlier than the western. Four barns, dating from about 1900, stand at the end of a cedar-lined lane with a wooden water tower, which is unusual for surviving in excellent condition. Blue also donated land for Bethesda Church. The house is regarded as one of the county's oldest buildings, and the complex represents rural farm life in the Sandhills region.
Significance in brief: The house is described as one of the county's oldest buildings and as a vernacular interpretation of late Federal and modest Greek Revival architecture with strong local significance. The farm complex, with its early twentieth century outbuildings, is presented as representative of rural life in the Sandhills region. Blue is noted for donating land for Bethesda Church and serving as an elder there for forty years.
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 82003489, listed June 1, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bethesda Rd. and Ernest L. Ives Dr., Aberdeen |
|---|---|
| County | Moore County |
| Listed | June 1, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003489 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Malcolm McMillan Blue (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Federal and Greek Revival (vernacular) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as a living history farm run by the Malcolm Blue Historical Society. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Coordinates | 35.13568, -79.41042 (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 82003489.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460583
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.