Machpelah
Also known as: Macpelah; McPelah; Taylor, Robert B., Farm
Why it's listed
Machpelah is a 323-acre farm in northern Vance County, North Carolina, with a farmstead set a quarter mile back from N.C. Highway 39. The farm was established by Virginia planters around 1754 and has been worked continuously since. Its centerpiece is a ca. 1850 Greek Revival plantation office, the oldest surviving building on the property, which stands beside a ca. 1880 two-story frame house. Edward Osborne Taylor, who bought the farm at public auction in 1878, built the house after a fire destroyed an earlier dwelling. The house combines Greek Revival, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival details, and its kitchen and pantry were appended around 1910. Outbuildings including a barn, corncrib, and salting house date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Five tenant houses stand across the fields. Together these buildings document the shift from antebellum plantation work to tenant farming after emancipation, and the farm's architecture spans several stylistic periods.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is an intact representation of a prosperous antebellum plantation that adapted to the labor structure of the post-slavery period. The ca. 1850 plantation office and ca. 1880 house are cited as representing Greek Revival and a transitional style, and the outbuildings and five tenant houses are cited as examples of farm building types and tenant farming.
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 07000215, listed March 27, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 12079 NC 39, approx. 0.5 mi. S of Townsville, Townsville |
|---|---|
| County | Vance County |
| Listed | March 27, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000215 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850-1956 |
| Architect / builder | Newkirk, Willie, local carpenter |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The farm has been in continuous operation; the document does not describe a current vacancy. |
| Acreage | 323 |
| Coordinates | 36.48407, -78.43312 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 07000215.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19986890
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.