Bizzell, Asher W., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1820 by Asher W. Bizzell, a merchant from Wayne County, this two-room frame house sits at the Rosin Hill crossroads in northern Sampson County. Bizzell used it as a stop and tavern along the Fayetteville-to-Tarboro stage road, and he also ran a general store and dealt in naval stores. The house follows the coastal cottage form, with a gable roof sweeping over an engaged front porch and rear shed rooms, a central chimney, and classical pilasters framing the four front bays. Around 1870 Bizzell's daughter-in-law moved it a short distance across a small stream. Later it passed to Sampson Warren and then his daughter Annie McPhail, whose nearby house and store also survive. The nomination values the house as one of the earliest and most intact examples of its form in the county, and as a reminder of the area's early farming, trade, stagecoach travel and naval stores production.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the earliest and most intact examples of the coastal cottage form popular in the county in the early 19th century, with the county's finest exterior ornamentation for the form. It is also tied to early agriculture, commerce and transportation as a tavern and stagecoach stop on the Fayetteville-to-Tarboro road, and to the later naval stores industry.
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 86001125, listed May 21, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | US 13 and SR 1845, Rosin |
|---|---|
| County | Sampson County |
| Listed | May 21, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001125 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular coastal cottage form with simple classical detailing |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as vacant for a number of years except for seasonal farm help; condition marked fair; moved about 1870 by Bizzell's widow. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.20962, -78.41613 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 86001125.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19867234
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.