Hall Family House
Why it's listed
Two-story frame farmhouse in the Bear Poplar community of western Rowan County, North Carolina, built in 1856-1857 for planter Newberry Franklin Hall. Local tradition attributes its construction to carpenter James G. Graham, who is also credited with two other houses in the area. The interior retains its original flush board sheathing, molded surrounds and mantels, several of which draw on plates from Asher Benjamin's The Practical House Carpenter. Hall, a Presbyterian elder at Thyatira Church, served three consecutive terms in the North Carolina House of Commons from 1856 to 1861. The property is significant for its Greek Revival interior finish and for its association with the family's dairy operation, begun around 1879 by Hall's sons and still continuing on the farm. The complex includes a restored log smokehouse and a triple-pen log barn, which is thought to date from the same period as the house.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an intact, well-finished example of Greek Revival domestic architecture in the Piedmont, with interior detail drawn partly from Asher Benjamin's pattern books. It also argues the property is tied to the Hall family's dairy and farming operations, begun around 1879, and to Hall's public and church service in the 1850s and 1860s.
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 82001305, listed October 5, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Bear Poplar on NC 801, Bear Poplar |
|---|---|
| County | Rowan County |
| Listed | October 5, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001305 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1856-1857 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In use as a working dairy farm and family residence |
| Acreage | 244 |
| Coordinates | 35.68089, -80.66519 (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 82001305.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19878610
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.