Rowland Main Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Rowland's Main Street commercial core runs for a little over two blocks on both sides of the Atlantic Coast Line tracks in southwestern Robeson County. The district holds forty buildings and one structure, mostly one- and two-story brick stores, along with small warehouses, a hotel, a bank and a 1925 railroad depot. Construction dates run from 1891 to the mid-1980s. Many storefronts keep prism glass transoms, corbelled cornices, sawtooth brick banding and stamped metal fronts made by the Chattanooga Roofing and Foundry Company. The town grew after a branch of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, known as the Wilson Shortcut, reached the area in 1888 and was completed in 1892. Lots were auctioned, the town was incorporated in 1889, and businesses clustered along the tracks. The district was listed for its role in commerce and transportation and for its architecture. Its period of significance ends in 1954, and five of its 41 resources are noncontributing.
Significance in brief: The district was the principal commercial and trade center of a railroad town founded in 1888-1889 on the Wilson Shortcut of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad. It meets Criteria A and C in Commerce, Transportation and Architecture. Its buildings represent typical styles of small Coastal Plain railroad towns around the turn of the twentieth century, and it retains a high degree of integrity.
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 04001582, listed February 2, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by the 100 and 200 blks of W. Main St., 100 blk of E. Main St., and Hickory and E and W Railroad Sts., Rowland |
|---|---|
| County | Robeson County |
| Listed | February 2, 2005 |
| Reference number | 04001582 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1891-1954 |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style, Craftsman, Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Several buildings have boarded or covered upper windows, and the upper floor of the Rowland Drug Company building is abandoned. Other buildings remain in commercial or government use, including the town offices and fire and police department. Five of 41 resources are noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Coordinates | 34.53674, -79.29287 (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 04001582.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q22061073
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.