Duke-Lawrence House
Also known as: Lawrence House; Shoulars House
Why it's listed
Located about two miles east of Rich Square in Northampton County, North Carolina, the Duke-Lawrence House is an atypical Georgian dwelling with a T-shaped plan. The frame wing is believed to date from the mid-eighteenth century and is attributed to John Duke, who acquired the 1,250-acre tract in 1747 and later held more than 6,000 acres. A brick eastern section, probably added between 1787 and 1796, rises two full stories on its east elevation but only one on its west, a roofline regarded as probably unique in North Carolina domestic architecture. The basement contains a large cooking fireplace and a square pit, and the house retains much of its original plaster and fabric. Its interior woodwork was removed in the early 1930s and installed in Willow Oaks in Richmond, Virginia. The house is important for its surviving construction evidence and its link to the plantation economy of the northeastern part of the state.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the relatively few brick Georgian houses surviving in North Carolina from the second half of the eighteenth century, and that its unusual roofline and two-story brick addition make it probably unique in the state's domestic architecture. Its basement and attic are said to preserve information about mid-eighteenth-century construction practice, and it is presented as the most important example of its period remaining in Northampton 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 80002892, listed October 22, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E of Rich Square off NC 305/561, Rich Square |
|---|---|
| County | Northampton County |
| Listed | October 22, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002892 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1750-1799 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Under renovation after a period of neglect; the document states it is no longer vacant. |
| Acreage | 2.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.26792, -77.25214 (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 80002892.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19461427
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.