Rochester Heights Historic District
Why it's listed
Rochester Heights is a residential district of about thirty-nine acres in southeast Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, with houses built mostly between 1957 and 1964. Its streets were laid out in 1956 and 1958 by the Phillips Building Corporation on land once part of the Lightner farm. It is one of only a few post-World War II subdivisions planned for and open to black families in Raleigh, at a time when housing for black residents was scarce. Its first owners included physicians, educators, builders and government employees. The district holds 137 contributing houses and outbuildings, most of them brick Ranch houses with picture windows and low side-gable roofs. Restrictive covenants set minimum house costs, lot widths and setbacks, which gave the neighborhood a uniform layout that survives today. Its houses are also a well-preserved example of modern design from the postwar period.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be one of only a handful of post-World War II subdivisions planned for and open to the black community in Raleigh, and it is significant under Criterion A for community planning and Black ethnic heritage. It is also argued to be significant under Criterion C for a highly intact collection of Ranch and Split-Level modern houses. Its restrictive covenants and street layout have been retained.
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 11000893, listed December 7, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Bailey Dr., Boaz Rd., Calloway Dr. & Garner Rd., Raleigh |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | December 7, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000893 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1957-1964 |
| Architect / builder | Peebles, Millard R.; Cooley, Sidney; Hunter, Willis |
| Architectural style | Ranch; Split Level |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 39 |
| Coordinates | 35.75679, -78.62814 (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 11000893.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q22061064
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.