Farthing, Ben, Farm
Why it's listed
Built between 1923 and 1941 on a hillside above the Watauga River in the Sugar Grove area of Watauga County, the Farthing farmstead records how a mountain family worked its land. The complex includes a one-and-one-half story frame bungalow begun in 1923 by local builder Charlie Hartley, a large 1935 gambrel-roof barn built into the slope by Ben Farthing and helpers, a two-story root cellar, an outhouse, and a 1941 scale house used to weigh cattle and sheep at fall sales. Its rockwork, including stone walkways, steps and retaining walls, was designed by Ben Farthing and largely carried out by his children in 1939. The nomination treats the farm as a representative and rare survival of self-sufficient livestock farming in the county during the period from 1935 to 1942. The scale house is noted as the only example of its type in Watauga County, and the farm's surviving buildings and landscape are regarded as largely intact despite later division of the house and the loss of several outbuildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is a representative example of mountain livestock farming in Watauga County in the second quarter of the twentieth century, and that it is the most intact twentieth-century farm in the area. The scale house is described as the only one of its type in the county, and the rock landscaping built by the Farthing family is presented as a significant vernacular designed landscape using indigenous materials.
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 92001736, listed January 4, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1121 (Rominger Rd.) W side, just N of Watauga R., Sugar Grove |
|---|---|
| County | Watauga County |
| Listed | January 4, 1993 |
| Reference number | 92001736 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1935-1942 |
| Architect / builder | Farthing, Ben; Hartley, Charles |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The farmhouse has been converted into a duplex and rented, the bungalow and the 1949 dairy barn continue to be rented as residences, and the barn is used for storage. |
| Acreage | 16 |
| Coordinates | 36.23898, -81.82421 (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 92001736.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20709161
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.