Highsmith, Lewis, Farm
Also known as: Sweet Liberty
Why it's listed
Along US 421 just south of Harrells, in Sampson County, stands a farm complex built around a two-story Federal style house dating to about 1840. Planter Lewis Highsmith had it built, and his family held the farm for more than a century before it was sold in 1945. The weatherboarded hall-and-parlor house has a full-width, two-tier porch, the only one of its kind in the county, and the interior is unusually plain. Around it survive a number of outbuildings, including the original kitchen moved in 1959, a full-dovetail log smokehouse with cantilevered side sheds, a packhouse, a barn, and four tobacco barns, two built of square-notched logs. In 1860 Highsmith owned 1,000 acres and 13 slaves. The 113 acres now nominated are a working farm. The property was recognized as a representative Sampson County farmstead and for the quality of its house and outbuildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a prime example of the substantial dwellings of the county's pre-Civil War planter class and has the only full-width, two-tier engaged porch in the county. The farm keeps an unusually good group of original and early outbuildings, including a full-dovetail log smokehouse and square-notch log tobacco barns. The Highsmith family farmed it for over a century.
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 86000559, listed March 17, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | US 421 S of NC 41, Harrells |
|---|---|
| County | Sampson County |
| Listed | March 17, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000559 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a private residence and working farm; condition listed as good. |
| Acreage | 113 |
| Coordinates | 34.70693, -78.19189 (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 86000559.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19868267
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.