Knight, Henry H. and Bettie S., Farm
Why it's listed
Built around 1890 on land bought at auction in 1887, this farm north of Tarboro Road in Knightdale, Wake County, centres on a one-and-a-half-story frame farmhouse with a Queen Anne label and a deep rear wing added around 1900. Henry Haywood Knight, a Civil War veteran and county treasurer, ran a general store, cotton gin, saw mill and grist mill from the property. He helped start the area's first school and a Baptist congregation, and he granted a railroad right of way through his land. After his death in 1904, his widow Bettie Knight deeded a depot site, platted town lots and donated land for a church and school. The house has been altered over time, but the surrounding outbuildings from the 1890s and 1900s remain as evidence of a working farm that gave rise to the town.
Significance in brief: The farm is argued to be significant for its association with the founding of the town of Knightdale, which the Knights helped establish by granting a railroad right of way, deeding a depot tract, subdividing land for the town and donating lots for a church and school. The farmhouse itself is judged to be a representative vernacular dwelling without enough architectural significance to qualify on its own.
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 87002234, listed January 12, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | US 64, Knightdale |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | January 12, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002234 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1890-1911 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Two outbuildings and the farmhouse are described as contributing; the house is occupied by the Horton family per the form, but no current use is recorded for the complex as a whole. |
| Acreage | 45 |
| Coordinates | 35.80144, -78.49253 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 87002234.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20639334
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.