Thompson House
Also known as: William Thompson House
Why it's listed
Built about 1853 west of Wake Forest in Wake County, North Carolina, the Thompson House is a two-story, center-hall, double-pile dwelling of weatherboard over circular sawn lumber, with a hipped roof and front and rear one-story porches. It is regarded as one of the most intact Greek Revival houses in the county. Its interior retains hand-planed ceiling planks, pine floors, fluted trim in the front rooms, and soapstone fireboxes on the first floor, and an enclosed winder staircase is unusual for the county's mid-nineteenth-century houses. The house is associated with the Thompson family, including George Warren Thompson, who helped found the Wake Forest Institute, and William Marcellus Thompson, a Confederate captain killed at Gaines' Mill in 1862. Threatened by church expansion, the house was moved in 2004 to a nearby site on family land, where its chimneys, foundation stone and barn were relocated with it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the most intact Greek Revival style houses in Wake County and exemplifies the standard local interpretation of the style, including its hip roof, corner-blocked surrounds, and six-over-six sash windows. It also argues the house retains integrity of design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association despite being moved, and it is linked to the Thompson family and the Forest Hill Academy.
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 05001030, listed September 15, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2528 Old NC 98, Wake Forest |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | September 15, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001030 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1853 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved in April 2004 from its original location to save it from demolition; restored and reconstructed on a new site. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Coordinates | 35.96967, -78.56862 (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 05001030.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23073403
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.