Catherine Lake Historic District
Why it's listed
Catherine Lake is a small community of frame houses, stores and outbuildings on the south shore of a spring-fed pond in the pine woods of Onslow County. Its nineteenth-century character grew from turpentine distilling, which began at the lake around the 1840s under John A. Avirett, Sr. The district's centrepiece is the Avirett house, a T-plan Italianate dwelling of about 1850 with a circular stair, molded plasterwork and original interior colours. Nearby stand the Duffy house of 1896, a large late Victorian dwelling, and the Greek Revival Boggs house of about 1873. Stylish houses were built on the south side of a greensward, with stores on the north side, a pattern that survives in the historic core. The district reflects how distilling, merchandising and residence were combined at a small lakeside settlement.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its concentration of nineteenth-century turpentine production, commerce and residences associated with the community's distillers, merchants and professional men. The Avirett house is regarded as the most architecturally sophisticated ante-bellum house in Onslow County. The surviving buildings and their zoned layout around a semi-public greensward illustrate the community's mixed industrial, commercial and resort character.
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 89001853, listed November 13, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. SR 1001 and 1211, Catherine Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Onslow County |
| Listed | November 13, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001853 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850-ca. 1920 |
| Architectural style | Italianate; Greek Revival; Other: late Victorian millwork |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Avirett house was unoccupied and neglected in the mid-twentieth century and was restored from the 1970s by its present owner. |
| Acreage | 19 |
| Coordinates | 34.81703, -77.56184 (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 89001853.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460891
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.