Kornegay, Marshall, House and Cemetery
Why it's listed
Near Suttontown in northeast Sampson County stands a two-and-a-half story frame plantation house built around 1835 for Marshall Kornegay, a prominent area planter. Its hall-and-parlor plan blends late Federal and Greek Revival styles, and it is the largest of the older buildings in that corner of the county. Distinctive features include a chimney with patterned brickwork, elaborate Federal mantels, and plaster cornices and ceiling medallions that are among the few surviving in the county. The 1850 census listed Kornegay with 30 slaves and 1,800 acres. His widow ran the plantation after his death, and the property later passed to his youngest son. It left the family in 1919, when Leon Royal Grimes bought it and added the present porch and rear ell. A family cemetery lies nearby, and sites of vanished outbuildings, including a cotton gin and blacksmith shop, may yield information on agricultural practices. The house was renovated in 1980-81.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the largest of the older structures in the county's northeast corner and a fine example of a transitional Federal-Greek Revival house. It has a chimney with patterned brickwork, Federal mantels and rare plaster ceiling medallions and cornices. It reflects the antebellum planter class and farming in rural northeast Sampson County, and associated outbuilding sites may yield information on agricultural practices.
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 86000565, listed March 17, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1725 and SR 1720, Suttontown |
|---|---|
| County | Sampson County |
| Listed | March 17, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000565 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Transitional Federal-Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house was renovated as a residence in 1980-81 after standing vacant for several years following the 1978 death of its earlier owner; the second floor remained unrenovated. No outbuildings survive. |
| Acreage | 46.7 |
| Coordinates | 35.20967, -78.20252 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 86000565.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19864717
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.