Pope, Dr. M.T., House
Why it's listed
Dr. M.T. Pope built this two-story brick house at 511 S. Wilmington Street in Raleigh by 1900. Pope, born in 1858, was a physician trained at Shaw University's Leonard Medical School, a Charlotte drug company founder, and a Spanish-American War surgeon. The house has a gable end facing the street, common-bond brick walls, two-over-two windows, a colored-glass petal window, and a side-hall plan with original heart-pine woodwork and pocket doors. A porch with a sun parlor was added about 1920, and Pope saw patients in the hall during the 1920s. The house was listed because it is the last surviving building of a middle-class and professional African American neighborhood that formed as segregation spread across Raleigh. Pope built at the edge of the Fourth Ward, near Shaw University, on a street that served as a boundary between Black and white areas. Urban renewal and changing residential patterns later erased the surrounding neighborhood, leaving the house alone amid parking lots.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be the last surviving structure of a once-thriving middle and professional class African American neighborhood created in Raleigh as racial segregation took hold around 1900. It is significant for its social history and ethnic heritage, representing both segregation and the dignity of those who succeeded despite it.
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 99001392, listed November 22, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 511 S Wilmington St., Raleigh |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | November 22, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001392 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-1949 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: Two-story, gable-front |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by a charitable trust established by Dr. Pope's daughters; partially restored in 1998 and listed as work in progress, with future use planned as adaptive office space or a museum of African American heritage. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | East Raleigh-South Park Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.77348, -78.63828 (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 99001392.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7229176
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.