Ficklen, E. B., House
Also known as: Buckingham
Why it's listed
Buckingham, at 508 West Fifth Street in Greenville, is a two-story frame Queen Anne house completed around 1902 for tobacconist Edward Bancroft Ficklen. It is notable for a conical-roofed corner tower, a wraparound porch with Ionic columns, projecting gables, a Palladian window and tall brick chimneys. Inside are a formal staircase, paneled halls and tiled fireplaces with classical mantels. The nomination calls it the most elaborate Queen Anne dwelling in the city, though no architect is known. Ficklen came from Danville, Virginia, and prospered after a railroad branch reached Greenville in 1889 and tobacco replaced cotton as the main cash crop. He founded the E. B. Ficklen Tobacco Company in 1902, and his house reflects that boom. Family members later remodeled it, adding bedrooms and a modern kitchen in the 1950s. Its listing rests on its link to the tobacco industry, to Ficklen himself, and on its architecture.
Significance in brief: It is described as the most sophisticated and elaborate Queen Anne-style dwelling in Greenville, with a corner tower, wraparound porches and projecting gables. It reflects Greenville's rise as a tobacco marketing and processing center after the railroad arrived in 1889. It is also tied to Ficklen, who founded the E. B. Ficklen Tobacco Company in 1902.
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 84000564, listed December 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 508 W. 5th St., Greenville |
|---|---|
| County | Pitt County |
| Listed | December 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000564 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Generally well preserved but altered; rented since 1975 and occupied by a college fraternity at the time of the nomination. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 35.61263, -77.37932 (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 84000564.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19865445
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.