Skinner, Dr. Charles and Susan, House and Outbuildings
Why it's listed
Dr. Charles and Susan Skinner built this two-story Greek Revival plantation house near Littleton between 1840 and 1844, on land from Susan's family, the Littles. Its T-shaped plan has a three-bay, single-pile main block and two hemi-octagonal wings. It keeps its original weatherboarding, fluted corner posts, window sash, mantels, woodwork and central-passage floor plan with a transverse stair hall behind a keystone arch. Around the house stand a kitchen, dairy, smokehouse, necessary and two small dependencies, all from the 1840s and sharing the house's classical trim. Letters from Dr. Skinner describe hiring Albert G. Jones for the outbuildings and working with Thomas Bragg, Sr., whose crews raised the house. The couple moved in a week before Christmas in 1844. The complex is recognized as an intact example of the monumental houses that wealthy rural planters built across North Carolina before the Civil War, and it remains in the Skinner family.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house and its 1840s outbuildings are a rare surviving antebellum Greek Revival plantation complex with its original floor plan and exterior and interior detail intact. The buildings are attributed to regional builder/architects Albert G. Jones and Thomas Bragg, Sr. The complex is presented as an important example of Greek Revival architecture in Warren County.
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 00001186, listed October 6, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1528, 0.25 mi. SW of NC 158, Littleton |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | October 6, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00001186 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1840-1844 |
| Architect / builder | Bragg, Thomas; Jones, Albert G. |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current use listed as domestic single dwelling and secondary structures; the house and land remain in the Skinner family and the surrounding land is still farmed. |
| Acreage | 6.2 |
| Coordinates | 36.42705, -77.93747 (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 00001186.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q24436307
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.