Richlands Historic District
Why it's listed
Richlands Historic District covers about forty-eight acres at the center of the Onslow County town of Richlands, North Carolina. It takes in the commercial crossroads of Hargett and Wilmington streets and the nearby residential blocks along Foy, Franck and Hargett streets. Nearly all significant buildings date from after the town's incorporation in 1880. The houses are mostly vernacular frame dwellings with late Victorian ornament, including I houses, wraparound-porch homes, bungalows and a 1938 brick Georgian Revival house designed by Kinston architect Mitchell Wooten. The downtown was largely rebuilt in brick after fires in the early 1910s, and it includes the 1905 Richlands Supply Company Building, the 1927 Bank of Richlands and the 1936 Richlands Theater. Three churches and several former high school buildings also survive. Local carpenters such as Benjamin Findeisen and the Coston brothers built or remodeled many houses. The district's overall integrity is good, even though many storefronts and porches have been altered.
Significance in brief: The district preserves Richlands' downtown commercial core and the homes of its business and professional men, nearly all dating from after the town's 1880 incorporation. Its buildings show how vernacular late Victorian houses gave way to bungalows and revival styles, and how merchants rebuilt in brick after fires in the early 1910s. The text available does not include the Section 8 statement, so the significance is drawn from the Section 7 description.
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 90000441, listed March 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Foy, Trenton, Hargett, Wilmington, Franck, and Church Sts., Richlands |
|---|---|
| County | Onslow County |
| Listed | March 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000441 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Mitchell Wooten (Kinston architect, Carl Whit Sutton House); local carpenters Benjamin "Mack" Findeisen and Joseph W. Coston; W. M. Barbee |
| Architectural style | Vernacular with late Victorian decorative elements; I house; Queen Anne; Bungalow; Georgian Revival; Beaux Arts and Art Deco commercial |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as having good architectural integrity. Some individual buildings are vacant, and others have modern siding or altered storefronts. |
| Acreage | 48 |
| Coordinates | 34.90018, -77.54685 (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 90000441.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q22061061
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.