Arrington, Gen. Joseph, House
Why it's listed
Southeast of Hilliardston, a frame house on a brick cellar shows two stages of building. The older west section is one story with simple Georgian interiors. The larger two-story east section, probably built by militia General Joseph Arrington, Jr., has a side-hall plan and unusually ornate vernacular Federal woodwork. Hall and parlor feature a molded arch, wainscots, and door and window surrounds decorated with gouged and pierced garlands, sunbursts and tassels, while the parlor mantel and flanking windows form a single composition. The house is tied to the Arrington family, which moved from Virginia about 1760 and became prominent in Nash County. Arrington advertised his land and house for sale in 1834 before moving to Alabama. Later owners included William Arrington, who bought about 320 acres in 1873, and Burrell Arrington, whose family kept the land into the twentieth century. The house was listed for its architecture and its local importance as a surviving Arrington plantation house. Brick chimneys laid in Flemish bond with mouse-tooth detailing add to its character.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house has elaborate vernacular Federal interiors of extraordinary richness and individuality, with distinctive gouged Adamesque woodwork. It is also of local historical importance as one of the few surviving plantation houses of the Arrington family, prominent citizens of Nash County.
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 74001361, listed July 15, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SE of Hilliardston on SR 1500, Hilliardston |
|---|---|
| County | Nash County |
| Listed | July 15, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001361 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | General Joseph Arrington, Jr., probably the builder of the large Federal addition |
| Architectural style | Georgian (older section) and vernacular Federal (larger section) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair and altered; occupied as a private residence, with the land farmed by the occupants. |
| Acreage | 9.5 |
| Coordinates | 36.11570, -77.91105 (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 74001361.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460279
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.