Oakforest
Also known as: Tryst Oak; Seawell House
Why it's listed
Oakforest is a two-story frame house near Wake Forest, North Carolina, set on about seven acres left from a 200-acre plantation that Benjamin Smith deeded to his son John in 1803. John Smith built the earliest part, a Federal-style hall-and-parlor house, before 1809. In the mid-nineteenth century it was enlarged and reoriented into a Greek Revival center-hall house, and around 1865 the Jones family added a two-story rear ell. The original Federal portico with its carved columns survives, as do interior features from each period, and an old boxwood allee lines the front drive. A smokehouse and a corncrib remain from the working plantation, along with three later non-contributing buildings. The property was listed because it is a rare Wake County example of Federal and Greek Revival architecture, with both building phases retaining a high degree of integrity and a rural setting that recalls its past as a homestead.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues Oakforest is a rare Wake County survivor from the Federal and Greek Revival periods and is locally significant in architecture. Both sections of the house retain a high degree of integrity from their construction periods. Two nineteenth-century outbuildings, a smokehouse and corncrib, also reflect the area's plantation economy.
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 98000689, listed June 11, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 9958 Seawell Dr., Wake Forest |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | June 11, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000689 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | First decade of the nineteenth century to ca. 1865 |
| Architectural style | Federal; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling with secondary structures; the rural setting has been preserved and the house retains much of its historic integrity despite 1960s porch changes. |
| Acreage | 6.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.94217, -78.52402 (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 98000689.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15263212
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.