Old Neck Historic District
Also known as: See Also:William Jones Plantation; Fletcher--Skinner--Nixon P
Why it's listed
Old Neck is a rural farming district of roughly 3,365 acres lying across the Perquimans River from Hertford, North Carolina. Bounded by the river and Suttons Creek, it is mostly flat, open farmland crossed by drainage ditches, with five major plantation seats and several smaller farms. Its buildings range from Federal and Greek Revival plantation houses, such as the William Jones house of 1813 and Cove Grove, built about 1830, to plain farmsteads finished in 1946. Most are wood frame with brick foundations and chimneys. The district illustrates the shift from antebellum plantations worked by enslaved labor to tenant farming and small independent farms. Rare outbuildings survive, including a slave kitchen and carriage house at Cove Grove. Land has stayed with descendants of the Nixon, Jones, Skinner and Fletcher families, and the fields, roads, ditches and woodland remain little changed. Recent mobile homes and ranch houses are scattered, mostly in wooded areas.
Significance in brief: The district shows the development of a plantation society and economy in the antebellum period, followed by tenant farming and small independent farms in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It contains a range of Federal, Greek Revival and later farm architecture, including rare outbuildings. Its agricultural landscape and integrity are described as exceptional within the Albemarle region.
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 96000929, listed September 6, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by US 17, NC 1302, NC 1300, Suttons Cr., andthe Perquimans River, Hertford |
|---|---|
| County | Perquimans County |
| Listed | September 6, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000929 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1813-1946 |
| Architectural style | Federal and Greek Revival plantation houses, plus later late-nineteenth and twentieth-century frame farmhouses and bungalows |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most dwellings are in fair to excellent condition with minor alterations; auxiliary buildings often suffer neglect. The Fletcher-Skinner-Nixon house was adapted into a bed-and-breakfast inn in 1992. |
| Acreage | 3365 |
| Coordinates | 36.17692, -76.40548 (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 96000929.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987390
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.