Richardson Houses Historic District
Why it's listed
Near Reidsville, North Carolina, the district consists of three houses built by the Richardson family on about thirty acres, surrounded by outbuildings that together show a working tobacco and grain plantation. The oldest house, a hall-and-parlor Greek Revival dwelling, dates to about 1842 and is probably the oldest building surviving in Reidsville. Robert Payne Richardson Sr., who was twenty-two when it was built, later became a prominent planter, merchant and tobacco manufacturer. A second house, built about 1860, shows transitional Greek Revival and Italianate features. In 1912 his son Robert Payne Richardson Jr. built Belmont, a Neo-Classical Revival residence regarded as one of the finest in the state. The district is significant for its surviving buildings, its landscape and the continuous ownership of one family from the 1840s into the twentieth century. Its history also records the decline of the family's fortunes as farming became less profitable and the land was sold off.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is significant as an outstanding example of a plantation complex showing the rise and decline of a family and community over nearly one hundred and fifty years. The houses represent Greek Revival, transitional Greek Revival/Italianate, and Neo-Classical Revival architecture, and the district is linked to the tobacco manufacturing careers of Robert Payne Richardson Sr. and Jr.
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 86003390, listed December 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NW side of Richardson Dr. between Coach Rd. and Woodland Dr., Reidsville |
|---|---|
| County | Rockingham County |
| Listed | December 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003390 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1840-1930 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Neo-Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most outbuildings are unused and some are in ruinous condition; farming operations ceased in the early 1970s. |
| Acreage | 30 |
| Coordinates | 36.34199, -79.68270 (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 86003390.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987804
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.