Hart, Dr. Franklin, Farm
Also known as: Hidden Path
Why it's listed
Hidden Path, the Dr. Franklin Hart Farm, covers 632 acres of flat, sandy fields and mixed forest north of Rocky Mount in Nash County. Its centerpiece is a two-story, three-bay frame I-house built about 1845, with Federal and Greek Revival details and a two-tier portico on massive turned and banded columns. A one-and-one-half story Georgian rear wing is thought to be the original Hart dwelling from the late eighteenth century. Nearby stand a detached kitchen, a smokehouse, a packhouse, three frame tobacco barns, four rare concrete tobacco barns from about 1912, and seven tenant houses. The Hart family owned and farmed the land from about 1770 until 1979, making it one of the county's longest continuously operated single-owner farms. The property was recognized for its architecture and its record of agriculture, and the land remains in cultivation with its historic setting largely unchanged.
Significance in brief: The farm is argued to be significant for architecture and agriculture as a largely intact collection of antebellum through early twentieth century dwellings, farm buildings and farmland. The Hart House is described as the county's most striking and best preserved two-story I-house, with a unique two-tier portico. The farm stayed in Hart family ownership and cultivation for about 200 years, and it includes four rare concrete tobacco barns built c. 1912.
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 88001050, listed July 21, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NC 48, Drake |
|---|---|
| County | Nash County |
| Listed | July 21, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001050 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c. 1770-1937 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Other: Vernacular I-House |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house and outbuildings have been preserved by the current owner, and the land is still farmed in cotton, tobacco and peanuts. A small ornamental nursery has been added. |
| Acreage | 632 |
| Coordinates | 36.03534, -77.80532 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 88001050.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19462218
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.