Phillips, John Evander, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1893 just outside Cameron in Moore County, North Carolina, this two-story frame farmhouse was the home of John Evander Phillips, a merchant-farmer who ran stores in town and grew dewberries on his farm. Its cruciform plan, with four wings projecting from a central block, is unique in Cameron. Turned porch posts, sawnwork brackets, bargeboards and diamond-patterned shingles decorate the exterior, much like houses built by town businessmen of the same period. A late-eighteenth-century kitchen house, moved and altered in 1893, connects to the main block by an enclosed breezeway. The Phillips family lived there into 1970, when the interior was divided into three apartments. A 1997 fire damaged the kitchen house, breezeway and part of the main block, but much original material survives. The house was listed for its architecture, as a record of the tastes and building methods of a prosperous late-Victorian farmer-merchant.
Significance in brief: The nomination finds the house locally significant under Criterion C for architecture. Its symmetrical cruciform plan is unique in Cameron, and its sawn, turned and molded ornament reflects the tastes of wealthy late-nineteenth-century merchant-farmers. The exterior remains remarkably intact, and the house documents the building techniques and materials of the period.
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 00001184, listed October 6, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 24/27, 0.3 mi outside Cameron, Cameron |
|---|---|
| County | Moore County |
| Listed | October 6, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00001184 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1893 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built for John Evander Phillips) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian (Picturesque Movement influences) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Interior divided into three apartments about 1970; a 1997 fire damaged the kitchen house, breezeway and part of the main block. Rehabilitation was planned, with future use as an antiques shop. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 35.33001, -79.26217 (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 00001184.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987540
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.