Poole, Wayland E., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1911 across from his sawmill, this one-story frame farmhouse in the railroad crossroads community of Auburn, eastern Wake County, was home to farmer and sawmill operator Wayland E. Poole. A family account says he hand-picked the lumber for it at his own mill. The house has a T-shaped plan with a side-gabled main block, a front-gabled wing, a rear ell and a wraparound porch with original turned posts. Weatherboard siding, diamond-shaped gable vents and the original slate roof survive. Inside, each room has its own exterior door, and painted neoclassical mantels with mirrored overmantels, beadboard and plaster finishes remain. It was listed for its architecture: an elongated version of the Triple-A house type popular in Wake County around 1900, distinguished by its multiple gables, complex plan and unusually high integrity inside and out. About two acres are included, with a ca. 1911 shed or office and two 1990s wellhouses.
Significance in brief: The house is significant locally under Criterion C for architecture as one of the most intact sprawling early twentieth-century Queen Anne farmhouses with cross-gabled wings and wraparound porches in Wake County. It is an elongated T-shaped version of the Triple-A house type, and its slate roof, original materials and interior finishes remain largely intact. It was built for Wayland E. Poole, a farmer and sawmill operator.
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 03000967, listed September 25, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 2555, 0.2 mi. S of jct. with NC 1004 (4800 Auburn-Knightdale Rd.), Auburn |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | September 25, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000967 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1911 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single dwelling with a secondary structure; the only noted alteration is a bathroom created by enclosing a rear porch in the early twentieth century. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 35.69204, -78.55034 (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 03000967.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7975919
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.