Phifer, John, Farm
Why it's listed
Set on a dirt-and-gravel road in the northwest corner of Rowan County, this 234-acre piedmont farm has been worked by the Phifer family for roughly 165 years. Its fields, pastures and woodlands hold about two dozen buildings, among them two successive log houses, a double-pen log barn, a log granary and corn crib, and a log smokehouse, along with frame outbuildings such as a blacksmith shop, springhouse, chicken houses and tool shed. None of the buildings is painted, and their weathered look blends with the landscape. The small two-story house of about 1819 is the farm's earliest building. Its roof gable projects several feet to shelter a chimney of fieldstone and brick, a medieval-derived form known from only a handful of North Carolina examples and no others in Rowan County. Because it stopped serving as a dwelling in the late nineteenth century, it survives largely intact. The farm's collection of buildings, tools and household furnishings records a largely self-sufficient way of farming over several generations.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is one of the most important and representative 19th-century farm complexes in Rowan County and the North Carolina piedmont. The ca. 1819 John Phifer House is cited as statewide significant for its rare engaged stone-and-brick gable-end chimney, a form found nowhere else in the county. The complex also preserves log barns, outbuildings, equipment and machinery used by one family for about 165 years.
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 90001991, listed December 28, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Phifer Rd. and SR 1978, Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Rowan County |
| Listed | December 28, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001991 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Jacob Wilson Phifer (built the ca. 1858 house and log outbuildings); John Phifer (ca. 1819 house, thought to be built by him) |
| Architectural style | 19th Century Vernacular; 20th Century Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The 1956 residence is the family home; the ca. 1858 Jacob Wilson Phifer House has not been occupied since 1957 and is maintained and used for storage; the ca. 1819 house ceased to be a dwelling in the late 19th century. |
| Acreage | 234.7 |
| Coordinates | 35.78002, -80.72313 (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 90001991.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987537
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.