Coleman-White House
Also known as: Whitesome
Why it's listed
Whitesome, also known as the Coleman-White House, is a two-story frame house on Halifax Street in Warrenton, North Carolina. Dr. Littleton H. Coleman built it between 1821 and 1824. The house is a rectangular block three bays wide under a gable roof, with a Palladian entrance, triple windows on the facade and a Palladian window above the door. Inside, a center hall plan is finished with reeded and gouged woodwork and elaborate plaster ceiling medallions and cornices in the hall and main parlor. It was listed because it belongs to a regional group of late Federal houses decorated in an inventive Adamesque manner, including Montmorenci, Prospect Hill and Elgin. Since Montmorenci and Prospect Hill are gone, its facade window treatment is the only known surviving example in North Carolina. Later owners included merchant Thomas White, who bought it in 1837, and William Jones White, a Confederate quartermaster, who acquired it in 1873. Robert E. Lee's 1870 visit to Warrenton is linked to the White family.
Significance in brief: It is an important and well-preserved member of a regional group of late Federal houses linked by elaborate, inventive Adamesque ornament. It connects the surviving houses in Warren and Halifax counties with the lost Montmorenci and Prospect Hill. Its triple facade windows are now unique in the state, and its Palladian entrance is intricately detailed.
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 73001380, listed October 25, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Halifax and Hall Sts., Warrenton |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | October 25, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001380 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific dates 1821-1824) |
| Architect / builder | Dr. Littleton H. Coleman (builder/original owner) |
| Architectural style | Late Federal (Adamesque ornament) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition stated as excellent; occupied as a private residence; the rear has been altered by expansion. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 36.39126, -78.15388 (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 73001380.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20708886
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.