Howell-Butler House
Why it's listed
Built about 1900 for Robert P. Howell by Bill White, this two-story, center-hall frame house stands on a large corner lot in Roseboro. It is one of the few German-sided houses in Sampson County, with a hipped metal roof, massive paneled brick chimneys and a wrap-around porch on Tuscan columns. The interior is its distinction: walls and ceilings are covered in decoratively laid, beaded tongue-and-groove boarding, divided into panels by heavy molded bands and accented with circular wooden medallions. The nomination calls it the most exuberant turn-of-the-century interior in the county. The house also reflects the growth of the railroad town. Sisters Kate and Ethel Hollingsworth ran a hotel or boarding house here from 1913 to 1917. Lumber businessman Braxton R. Butler bought it in 1919, and his daughter Ossie, long-time town clerk, lived there until her death in 1981. A frame storage house and a ca. 1930 garage remain on the grounds.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house has the most exuberant turn-of-the-century interior in Sampson County, with decoratively laid tongue-and-groove sheathing, molded panels and circular medallions. It is also tied to early Roseboro through the Hollingsworth Hotel (1913-1917) and the Butler family, and may yield archaeological information.
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 86000560, listed March 17, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Broad and McLamb Sts., Roseboro |
|---|---|
| County | Sampson County |
| Listed | March 17, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000560 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Bill White (builder); architect unknown |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked occupied, private residence, in good condition and unaltered; one ca. 1930 garage and a small storage house survive on the lot. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.95085, -78.51337 (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 86000560.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19880373
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.