Lee, Lovett, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1880 near Giddensville in eastern Sampson County, the Lovett Lee House is a frame, two-story, single-pile farmhouse with a center-hall plan and a hip roof of standing seam metal. Its main feature is a double-tier front porch with chamfered posts, turned balusters, a sawn-slat upper railing and a boldly scrolled sawn frieze, which gives a lacy look to an otherwise plain form. Inside, the hall and side parlors have decorative ceilings of beaded tongue-and-groove sheathing, and the south bedroom has an octagonal pattern. Lovett Lee, a lumberman, and his family owned the house. His son Charles Lee later rented rooms to teachers from the nearby Piney Grove School. The Sullivan family bought the property in 1946 and restored it in 1980. The nomination names it one of two prime examples in the county of Victorian millwork added to a traditional farmhouse, and the only restored one. It sits among pecan trees in productive farmland.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of two prime examples in Sampson County of a traditional two-story, single-pile farmhouse given extensive sawn and turned Victorian millwork. Its double-tier front porch is among the most elaborate in the county. The interior has decoratively laid beaded tongue-and-groove sheathing, and it is the only one of the two examples that has been restored. The form also says the site 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 86000567, 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 1730, Giddensville |
|---|---|
| County | Sampson County |
| Listed | March 17, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000567 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Victorian ornamental millwork applied to a traditional two-story, single-pile, center-hall farmhouse |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; described as in excellent condition and completely restored and renovated in 1980. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.17291, -78.21659 (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 86000567.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19875050
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.