Roxboro Male Academy and Methodist Parsonage
Why it's listed
Built as a two-story, single-pile house on North Main Street in Roxboro sometime between 1840 and 1854, the building was probably first a residence and possibly a small male academy before the Methodist Episcopal trustees bought it in 1854 as a parsonage. It served the church until 1915. A late nineteenth century addition gave the house an Italianate character, with a gable-front roof, a projecting slanted bay and sawnwork detail, and an early twentieth century Colonial Revival porch with Doric posts followed. The interior keeps Greek Revival trim in the original main block alongside Italianate and Colonial Revival mantels and a Colonial Revival stair. The house is significant for its association with William R. Webb, a Methodist minister and local official who lived there, and with James Anderson Long, a businessman tied to the railroad's arrival. It is also important as a clear record of changing domestic architecture in the North Carolina piedmont across the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is among the oldest standing buildings in Roxboro and reflects changing domestic design tastes in the piedmont, moving from Greek Revival to Italianate and Colonial Revival styles. It is also associated with the Methodist ministry of William R. Webb and with businessman James Anderson Long, who helped bring the Norfolk and Western Railroad to Roxboro in 1890.
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 82003497, listed July 29, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 315 N. Main St., Roxboro |
|---|---|
| County | Person County |
| Listed | July 29, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003497 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1840-1860 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, and Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Original site, unaltered in the sense of retaining its original main block with later remodelings; condition rated fair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.39532, -78.97985 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 82003497.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7372383
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.