Sheppard, Thomas, Farm
Also known as: Sheppard Mill Farm
Why it's listed
Located on level farmland about four and a half miles east of Stokes, this 36.858-acre farm in Pitt County, North Carolina, bounds Sheppard Millpond. Its centrepiece is a two-story frame house built around 1850 for Thomas and Clementina Sheppard. The house has fluted Doric columns on a one-story pedimented portico, which is described as unique in the county. Inside are Greek Revival mantels, fluted door and window surrounds with bulls-eye cornerblocks, and a floor plan not otherwise recorded in the county survey. A mill site on the property is thought to date to 1775. In the 1930s the Barnhill family added a kitchen wing, a tenant house, a stock barn, a tobacco barn, a hog pen, a chicken house and a brick well house. These outbuildings, together with the fields in their historic locations, illustrate diversified farming in the county during the 1930s and 1940s. After years of vacancy, the house was restored in 1992-1993 and now operates as an inn.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is a largely intact complex showing the development of diversified agriculture in Pitt County during the 1930s and 1940s. It also cites the farmhouse's Greek Revival design, including a pedimented portico described as unique in the county and an interior plan not found elsewhere in the county survey.
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 00000517, listed May 18, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1550, near jct. of NC 1552, Stokes |
|---|---|
| County | Pitt County |
| Listed | May 18, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000517 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850; 1930-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house was restored in 1992-1993 and is operated as a bed and breakfast inn. The tenant house is vacant, and two ruinous barns are in poor condition. |
| Acreage | 36.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.69408, -77.20953 (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 00000517.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23073322
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.