Rock Cliff Farm
Also known as: Wells, B.W. Farm
Why it's listed
Rock Cliff Farm occupies a peninsula of the Neuse River in northern Wake County, near Wake Forest. The 144.20-acre farm was a small subsistence holding worked by the Lowery-Ray family from about 1881 until 1944, when Charles J. Ray's estate was sold. Botanist Bertram Whittier Wells bought the property in December 1950 and made it his home from 1954 until his death in 1978. He repaired the farmhouse, built a studio with a stone fireplace, constructed a stone wall, and laid out about ten miles of nature trails. The property is significant for its association with Wells, who taught botany at North Carolina State College from 1919 and wrote The Natural Gardens of North Carolina, published in 1932. The farm's river cliffs, known as Zeagle's Rock, and its plant life drew him there. Creation of Falls Lake in the 1980s flooded much of the original acreage.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is significant for its association with Dr. Bertram Whittier Wells, a botanist at North Carolina State College who wrote The Natural Gardens of North Carolina and lived on the farm from 1954 until his death in 1978. The farm's natural setting, cliffs and plant life shaped his retirement and his later interest in the state's landscape. The nomination also describes the farm's earlier agricultural history under the Lowery-Ray family.
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 07000879, listed August 29, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | West end of Bent Rd., Wake Forest |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | August 29, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000879 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1950-1978 |
| Architect / builder | Wells, Bertram Whittier--builder |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Conservation, Science, Literature |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residual tract surviving above the waters of Falls Lake; buildings maintained with support of the B. W. Wells Association. |
| Acreage | 83.4 |
| Coordinates | 36.00141, -78.64612 (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 07000879.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q24436299
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.