Rountree, Moses, House
Why it's listed
Set on a quiet residential street in Wilson, North Carolina, this two-story cottage was built about 1869 for Moses Rountree, a leading merchant of the town. It is attributed to Oswald Lipscomb, a local builder and Rountree's brother-in-law, and is considered the best-preserved example of his Gothic cottage work. The house has a T-shaped plan, weatherboard siding, steep gables over lancet windows, and a lattice-trimmed porch hood. Its Gothic character comes from its form rather than applied ornament, and its restrained detailing recalls the Greek Revival. The house was moved about 1890 to make room for a larger home built by Rountree's descendants, then moved again in 1920 to its present lot, about one block from the original site. Partial Colonial Revival remodeling took place in the 1930s. It is significant for its link to Rountree and Lipscomb, for its place in Wilson's growth after the Civil War, and as a rare local example of pattern-book Gothic Revival design.
Significance in brief: The house is a rare surviving example of Gothic Revival architecture in Wilson and one of the few surviving works of builder Oswald Lipscomb. It is associated with Moses Rountree, Wilson's most prosperous nineteenth-century merchant, and with the town's post-Civil War development. Its lancet windows, steep gables and latticed porch reflect the influence of pattern books by A. J. Downing and Calvert Vaux.
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 82003533, listed April 26, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 107 N. Rountree St., Wilson |
|---|---|
| County | Wilson County |
| Listed | April 26, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003533 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Attributed to Oswald Lipscomb |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; altered and moved (about 1890 and 1920), with Colonial Revival changes in the 1930s. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.73404, -77.91499 (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 82003533.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q21187964
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.