This is a list of plantations in North Carolina that are National Historic Landmarks, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, listed on a heritage register, or are otherwise significant for their history, association with significant events or people, or their architecture and design.[1] [2] [3]
Today, as was also true in the past, there is a wide range of opinion as to what differentiated a plantation from a farm. Typically, the focus of a farm was subsistence agriculture. In contrast, the primary focus of a plantation was the production of cash crops, with enough staple food crops produced to feed the population of the estate and the livestock.[4] A common definition of what constituted a plantation is that it typically had 500acres1000acres or more of land and produced one or two cash crops for sale.[5] Other scholars have attempted to define it by the number of slaves that were owned.[6]
The tables of plantations below are sortable, so the name, locality, county (current), historic register number, and built in years can be easily reviewed. References can be found on the individual articles linked or are noted if there are no articles. Comparisons to similar referenced listings are in progress.[7]
| Color key | Historic register listing | |
|---|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark | ||
| National Register of Historic Places | ||
| Contributing property to a National Register of Historic Places historic district | ||
| Not listed on national or state register | ||
North Carolina plantation were identified by name, beginning in the 17th century. The names of families or nearby rivers or other features were used. The names assisted the owners and local record keepers in keeping track of specific parcels of land. In the early 1900s, there were 328 plantations identified in North Carolina from extant records.[8] [9] [10]
The Sloop Point plantation in Pender County, built in 1729, is the oldest surviving plantation house and the second oldest house surviving in North Carolina, after the Lane House (built in 17181719 and not part of a plantation). Sloop Point was once owned by John Baptista Ashe, who was a delegate to the Continental Congress, U.S. Congressman from North Carolina and Continental Army officer.[11] [12]
The known plantations during the period of the Province of North Carolina (17121776) are listed in the table below.
| NRHP reference number | Name | Image | Date designated | Locality | County | Date built and other notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72000985 | Sloop Point Plantation | January 20, 1972 | Sloop Point | Pender | Built in 1729 (circa). | ||
| 71000615 | Newbold-White Plantation | June 24, 1971 | Hertford | Perquimans | Built in 1730 by Abraham Sanders | ||
| 76001305 | Belfont Plantation House | December 12, 1976 | Latham 35.6183°N -77.1372°W | Beaufort | Built 1700-1799, Burned 10 Jan 2024 https://www.wnct.com/local-news/washington/fire-destroys-historic-plantation-home-in-beaufort-county/ | ||
| 73001294 | Orton Plantation | April 11, 1973 | Smithville Township 34.0606°N -77.9464°W | Brunswick | Built in 1735. Owner: Roger Moore (1694-1751) | ||
| 72000961 | Old Town Plantation | January 20, 1972 | Battleboro 35.9817°N -77.7311°W | Edgecombe | Built in 1742 (circa). | ||
| 73001318 | Clear Springs Plantation | March 14, 1973 | Jasper 35.2158°N -77.2008°W | Craven | Built in 1740. | ||
| Unknown Status | Turkey Branch Plantation (The Lilacs) | NA | Turkey 34.9931°N -78.1842°W | Duplin[13] | Built in 1730s (late) by Thomas Kenan (17001765), the father of James Kenan[14] | ||
| 73001371 | Ashland | March 14, 1973 | Henderson 36.4319°N -78.3692°W | Vance | Built in 1740 (circa) by Samuel Henderson | ||
| 79001720 | White Rock Plantation | February 14, 1979 | Hollister 36.2944°N -77.9236°W | Halifax | Built in 1750–1799. | ||
| 76001316 | Greenfield Plantation (Fordice's) | May 6, 1976 | Somer, near Somerset 36.0536°N -76.4425°W | Chowan | Built in 1752, 1840. Original owner: Levi Creecy (d.1772) | ||
| Green Hill | Hillsborough | Orange | Built in 1750 by Charles Wilson Johnston | ||||
| 97001561 | Potts Plantation | January 5, 1998 | Cornelius 35.4792°N -80.8369°W | Mecklenburg | Built in 1753. | ||
| 71000570 | King House | August 26, 1971 | Windsor 36.0303°N -77.0192°W | Bertie | Built in 1763 by William King. | ||
| Lipscomb House | Durham | Durham | Built in 1775 by Joseph Brittain | ||||
| 73001329 | Oak Grove Plantation | February 6, 1973 | Godwin (near Erwin) 35.25°N -78.6903°W | Cumberland | Built in 1764 (circa). | ||
| 79001711 | Abrams Plains Plantation | November 29, 1979 | Stovall 36.4828°N -78.5142°W | Granville | Built in 1766 by Samuel Smith. | ||
| 70000462 | House in the Horseshoe (Alston House) | February 26, 1970 | Carthage 35.4671°N -79.3835°W | Moore | Built in 1772 by Philip Alston | ||
| Family history[15] | data-sort-value="Gilreath Plantation" | Gilreath Plantation | Gilreath | Wilkes | Built in 1776 (circa). Over 600+ acres, later home to George Allen Gilreath. | ||
| 70000472 | Joel Lane House | July 28, 1970 | Raleigh | Wake | Built in 1769 | ||
| Mulberry Island Plantation | Stoneville | Rockingham | Built by Nathaniel Scales | ||||
| Patterson Plantation | Durham | Orange | Built in 1770 by John Patterson |
The following table shows the plantations in North Carolina that were built between 1776 and the end of the Civil War.
| NRHP reference number | Name | Image | Date designated | Locality | County | Date built and other notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelphia Plantation | Tarboro 35.8375°N -77.6218°W | Edgecombe | Built in 1854 by J. J. Garrett | |||||
| 75001266 | data-sort-value="Davis, Archibald H. Plantation" | Archibald H. Davis Plantation | July 24, 1975 | Justice 36.0533°N -78.1958°W | Franklin | Built in 1820 (about). | ||
| 02001718 | data-sort-value="Alexander, William T. House" | William T. Alexander House | January 15, 2003 | Charlotte 35.3231°N -80.7347°W | Mecklenburg | Built in 1820-1830 | ||
| 93001132 | Alston-DeGraffenried Plantation | November 18, 1974 | Pittsboro 35.7331°N -79.2433°W | Chatham | Built in 1810–1825. | |||
| 98001506 | Andrews-Moore House | December 10, 1998 | Bunn 36.0025°N -78.1872°W | Franklin | Built in 1790 (circa), 1830 (circa) | |||
| 82003441 | Aspen Hall | July 29, 1982 | Pittsboro 35.7339°N -79.2733°W | Chatham | Built in 1790s. | |||
| 91000465 | Avirett–Stephens Plantation | April 18, 1991 | Richlands 34.8511°N -77.5353°W | Onslow | Built in 1851. Owner: John Alfred Alvirett[16] [17] | |||
| 71000606 | Ayr Mount | August 26, 1971 | Hillsborough | Orange | Built in 1815 (circa). | |||
| 79001735 | Beaver Dam Plantation House | March 19, 1979 | Davidson 35.4756°N -80.8178°W | Mecklenburg | Built in 1829. | |||
| 89002132 | December 21, 1989 | Rocky Mount 36.0156°N -77.7714°W | Nash | Built in 1817 by John F. Bellamy | ||||
| 82003495 | Belvidere Plantation House | June 14, 1982 | Hampstead 34.3847°N -77.6475°W | Pender | Built in 1810 (about). | |||
| 86000157 | Bennett Bunn Plantation | February 4, 1986 | Zebulon 35.8372°N -78.2831°W | Wake | Built in 1833. | |||
| 80002898 | The Boxwoods | May 28, 1980 | Madison | Rockingham | Built in 1815 (circa). | |||
| 71000579, 05001412 | Bracebridge Hall | February 18, 1971, December 16, 2005 (Boundary Increase) | Tarboro | Edgecombe | Built between 1830 and 1832. Home of Governor Elias Carr and First Lady Eleanor Kearny Carr. | |||
| 70000480 | Buck Spring Plantation | October 15, 1970 | Vaughan 36.4806°N -77.9978°W | Warren | Built in 1781 (circa). Home of Nathaniel Macon. | |||
| 71000621 | Burnside Plantation House | April 16, 1971 | Williamsboro 36.4339°N -78.4625°W | Vance | Built in 1800 (about). | |||
| 80002881 | data-sort-value="Campbell, Perciphul" | Perciphul Campbell Plantation | December 8, 1980 | Union Grove 36.0424°N -80.8431°W | Iredell | Built in 1820 (about) by Perciphull Campbell | ||
| 70000843 | Carson House | September 15, 1970 | Marion | McDowell | Built in 1797 by John Carson. | |||
| Carter Plantation | Wentworth | Rockingham | Built in 1782 by Thomas Carter III | |||||
| 75001288 | Cascade Plantation (Willow Oaks Farm) | October 14, 1975 | Eden 36.5228°N -79.6581°W | Rockingham | Built in 1830s. Original owner: William Edward Broadnax | |||
| 72000976 | Cedar Grove Plantation | February 1, 1972 | Huntersville 35.3944°N -80.8986°W | Mecklenburg | Built in 1831. The home of James G. Torrance | |||
| Deep Springs Plantation | Stoneville | Rockingham | Built in 1827 by James Madison Scales | |||||
| 70000481 | Somerset Place Plantation | February 26, 1970 | Creswell 35.788°N -76.4051°W | Washington | Built in 1830. Contained more than two thousand acres of farmland, 125,000 acres of forests. | |||
| 73001334 | Cooleemee | Mocksville 35.8534°N -80.41°W | Davie | Built in 1853-1855 by Peter and Columbia Stuart Hairston. | ||||
| 71000581 | Coolmore Plantation | Tarboro 35.9239°N -77.5944°W | Edgecombe | Built in 1858–1861. | ||||
| 80002897 | Covington Plantation House | May 28, 1980 | Rockingham, North Carolina 34.8969°N -79.8036°W | Richmond | Built in 1850 (about). | |||
| 74001344 | Ellerslie Plantation | August 7, 1974 | Fayetteville 35.2306°N -78.8753°W | Cumberland | Built in 1790-1801 by George Elliot. | |||
| 72000963 | Elmwood Plantation | February 1, 1972 | Gatesville 36.3939°N -76.6994°W | Gates | Built in 1822. | |||
| 73001337 | Fairntosh Plantation | April 3, 1973 | Durham 36.0989°N -78.8283°W | Durham | Built in 1800. | |||
| 73001353 | Farmville Plantation (Darshana Hall) | June 19, 1973 | Elmwood area near Statesville 35.7394°N -80.765°W | Iredell | Built in 1818. Owner: Joseph Chambers (1791-1848); Built in 1753 by John McElwarth[18] | |||
| 79003349 | Fewell-Reynolds House | July 16, 1979 | Madison | Rockingham | Built in 1820 (circa). | |||
| 98000197 | Foscue and Simmons Plantations | October 7, 1998 | Pollocksville 35.0392°N -77.2003°W | Jones | Built in 1820-1825 (about) | |||
| 71000598 | Foscue Plantation House | November 19, 1971 | Pollocksville 35.0378°N -77.2906°W | Jones | Built in 1801. | |||
| 72000996 | Fox Haven Plantation | September 14, 1972 | Rutherfordton 35.3481°N -82.0536°W | Rutherford | Built in 1823. | |||
| 04001390 | William Wright Faison House | December 23, 2004 | Bowdens | Duplin | Built in 1830 | |||
| 82003425 | Garrett White House | June 28, 1982 | Colerain 36.2125°N -76.8828°W | Bertie | Built in 1780 or 1785 by Jesse Garrett | |||
| 74001370 | Green River Plantation | March 28, 1974 | Columbus 35.2867°N -82.0183°W | Polk | Built in 1807. | |||
| 71000616 | Grimesland Plantation | March 31, 1971 | Grimesland 35.5561°N -77.1672°W | Pitt | Built in 1790 (circa). | |||
| 72000960 | Hardscrabble | January 20, 1972 | Bahama | Durham | Built in 1779 | |||
| 71000588 | Hare Plantation House | February 18, 1971 | Como 36.5058°N -77.0394°W | Hertford | Built in 1815 (circa). | |||
| 07001504 | Harmony Plantation | January 29, 2008 | Wendell 35.865°N -78.4439°W | Wake | Built in 1833. | |||
| 74001341 | Hayes Plantation | Edenton 36.0482°N -76.6022°W | Chowan | Built in 1814–1817. 3000+ Slaves | ||||
| 96000186[19] | data-sort-value="Akins, Herbert" | Herbert Akins Plantation | Fuquay-Varina | Wake | Built in 1863 (before). Burned down during Civil War | |||
| 82003427 | Hermitage | June 8, 1982 | Merry Hill 36.0867°N -76.7333°W | Bertie | Built in 1700s (late). Owners: Alexander W. Mebane (1800-1847) and Augustus Holley (1820-1882) | |||
| 74001373 | High Rock Farm | April 26, 1974 | Gibsonville | Guilford | Built in the early 1800s. | |||
| 72000977 | Holly Bend Plantation | 3/24/1972 | Huntersville | Mecklenburg | Built in 1795–1800. | |||
| 70000441 | Hope Plantation | April 17, 1970 | Windsor 36.1775°N -77.0192°W | Bertie | ||||
| 88002608 | Humphrey–Williams Plantation | July 24, 1973 | Lumberton 34.7022°N -79.0614°W | Robeson | Built in 1784, 1846. | |||
| 75001275 | Johnson-Neel Plantation | June 20, 1975 | Mooresville | Iredell | Built in 1830 (circa). | |||
| 73001376 | data-sort-value="Jones, Crabtree" | Crabtree Jones House | June 4, 1973 | Raleigh 35.8222°N -78.6239°W | Wake | Built in 1795 by Nathaniel "Crabtree" Jones, Jr. | ||
| 88001264 | data-sort-value="Lawrence, John P. Plantation" | John P. Lawrence Plantation | August 31, 1988 | Grissom | Granville | Built in 1845 (circa) | ||
| 16000880 | Dr. Calvin Jones House | December 20, 2016 | Wake Forest | Wake | Built in 1820 (circa) | |||
| 72000978 | Latta Plantation | March 16, 1972 | Huntersville | Mecklenburg | Built in 1800 (circa). | |||
| 75001257 | Leigh Farm | September 5, 1975 | Chapel Hill | Durham | Built in 1834 (circa) | |||
| Unknown Status | Liberty Hall | NA | Kenansville 34.9599°N -77.9652°W | Duplin | Built in 1749-1799 by James Kenan, father of Thomas S. Kenan | |||
| 75001269 | Locust Grove | November 20, 1975 | Ingleside | Franklin | Built in 1790 (circa) | |||
| 72000995 | data-sort-value="Long, Alexander" | Alexander Long Plantation | February 1, 1972 | Spencer 35.7028°N -80.4203°W | Rowan | Built in 1783. | ||
| 76001312 | Longwood Plantation | September 15, 1976 | Milton 36.5278°N -79.2194°W | Caswell | Built in 1810, 1833, 1855 (circa); destroyed in 2013 | |||
| 84000071 | Lower Sauratown Plantation | May 24, 1984 | Eden | Rockingham | Built in 1825 (circa). | |||
| 75001270 | Massenburg Plantation | July 30, 1975 | Louisburg 36.1183°N -78.2689°W | Franklin | Built in 1820 (circa). | |||
| 72000964 | data-sort-value="Mendenhall, Richard Plantation Buildings | Richard Mendenhall Plantation Buildings | November 3, 1972 | Jamestown 35.9928°N -79.9489°W | Guilford | Built in 1811. | ||
| 07000543 | Midway Plantation House and Outbuildings | January 6, 1987 | Knightdale 35.8235°N -78.4942°W | Wake | Built in 1848. | |||
| 83001904 | Mills-Screven Plantation | February 17, 1983 | Tryon 35.2222°N -82.2511°W | Tryon | Built in 1820-1840. | |||
| 70000474 | Mordecai House | July 1, 1970 | Raleigh 35.7926°N -78.6334°W | Wake | Built in 1785 | |||
| 74001354 | Mount Mourne Plantation | October 29, 1974 | Mooresville 35.5386°N -80.8494°W | Iredell | ||||
| 98000689 | Oakforest | June 11, 1998 | Wake Forest | Wake | Built in 1807 | |||
| 72000924 | Oakland Plantation | April 25, 1972 | Carvers | Bladen | Built in 1780. | |||
| 80002829 | Oakland Plantation | April 2, 1980 | Tarboro 35.8964°N -77.5408°W | Edgecombe | Built in 1850 (mid 1800s). | |||
| 93001021 | Oaky Grove Plantation | September 30, 1993 | Shotwell 35.7402°N -78.4402°W | Wake | Built in 1818. | |||
| 91000359 | Historic Oak View | April 3, 1991 | Raleigh | Wake | Built in 1855. | |||
| 79003338 | Palo Alto Plantation | October 10, 1979 | Palopato | Onslow | Built in 1836-1840. | |||
| 75001263 | data-sort-value="Perry, Samuel House" | Dr. Samuel Perry House | June 5, 1975 | Gupton 36.1978°N -78.1517°W | Franklin | Built in 1857. | ||
| NCPEDIA[20] | Poplar Grove Plantation | Scott's Hill (Wilmington) 34.3203°N -77.7653°W | Onslow County, North Carolina | Built in 1792 (before) and owned by Cornelius Harnett and wife | ||||
| 79003346 | Poplar Grove | July 16, 1979 | Scott's Hill (Wilmington) 34.3203°N -77.7653°W | Onslow County, North Carolina | Built in 1850 (circa) by Joseph M. Foy | |||
| Poplar Hill | Hillsborough | Orange | Built in 1794 by James Hogg | |||||
| 78001977 | Pool Rock Plantation | November 29, 1978 | Williamsboro 36.4547°N -78.4178°W | Vance | Built in 1827. | |||
| 74001381 | Powell House | Wake Forest | Wake | Built in 1800 (circa) | ||||
| Pullen House | Raleigh | Wake | Built in the early 1800s. | |||||
| 76001329 | Puppy Creek Plantation | December 12, 1976 | Rockfish 35.0208°N -79.1292°W | Hoke | Built in 1821 (circa). | |||
| 88000238 | Purefoy–Dunn Plantation | March 24, 1988 | Wake Forest 35.9589°N -78.5386°W | Wake | Built in 1814 (circa). | |||
| 73001298 | Quaker Meadows | October 3, 1973 | Morganton (near) 35.7572°N -81.7208°W | Burke | Built in 1799 (before) by Joseph McDowell Jr. | |||
| User supplied[21] | Quewhiffle Plantation | NA | Magnolia | Sampson | Built in 1837 by Patrick Murphy. | |||
| 08001365 | Robinson Rock Plantation | January 22, 2009 | Charlotte 35.2614°N -80.7075°W | Mecklenburg | Built in 1780-1810 (circa). Historic archaeological site. | |||
| 82003492 | Rose Hill | April 28, 1982 | Nashville | Nash | Built in the late 18th-century | |||
| 88000409 | Marcus Royster Plantation | April 28, 1988 | Wilbourns 36.4711°N -78.7278°W | Granville | Built in 1850 (circa). | |||
| 74001342 | Shelton Plantation House | October 29, 1974 | Edenton 36.0822°N -76.6297°W | Chowan | Built in 1820 (circa). | |||
| 73001338 | Stagville Plantation | May 25, 1973 | Durham 36.1169°N -78.8378°W | Durham | Built in 1787–1799; Seat of largest plantation complex in NC | |||
| 01001132 | data-sort-value="Taylor, Archibald" | Archibald Taylor Plantation House | October 20, 2001 | Oxford 36.3217°N -78.5419°W | Granville | Built in 1840. | ||
| 74001369 | Waverly Plantation | October 9. 1974 | Cunningham 36.5389°N -79.0789°W | Person | Built in 1830 (circa). | |||
| 80002866 | Wood Lawn Plantation | November 24, 1980 | near Mount Mourne 35.5181°N -80.8347°W | Iredell | Built in 1836 by Dr. George Washington Stinson. | |||
| 86000420 | Woodside Plantation | March 6, 1986 | Milton 36.5256°N -79.1839°W | Caswell | Built in 1838 | |||
| 78001966 | White Oak Plantation | February 7, 1978 | Charlotte 35.2483°N -80.6906°W | Mecklenburg | Built in 1792. | |||
| 88000418 | data-sort-value="Wimbish, Lewis Plantation" | Lewis Wimbish Plantation | April 28, 1988 | Grassy Creek 36.5225°N -78.5894°W | Granville | Built in 1850 (circa). | ||
| 73001351 | Lebanon Plantation House | January 29, 1973 | Near Erwin 35.2597°N -78.6714°W | Harnett | Built in 1824 (circa). | |||
| Preservation NC[22] | Ashwood Plantation (William T. Smith House) | Godwin | Cumberland | Built in 1835 (circa). | ||||
| 05001030 | Thompson House | September 15, 2005 | Wake Forest | Wake | Built in 1853 (circa) | |||
| 74001378 | Wakefields | October 16, 1974 | Wake Forest | Wake | Built in 1831 (circa) | |||
| Walnut Hall | Bahama | Durham | Built in 1845 by Willie Person Mangum | |||||
| 82003504 | Wood Grove Plantation | September 23, 1982 | Bear Poplar 35.68°N -80.6744°W | Rowan | Built in 1825 (circa) by Thomas Cowan (1748-1817) and Abel Cowan (1789-1843) | |||
| User Supplied[23] | Ardnave | N/A | Manchester | Cumberland | Built 1825. Home of Daniel McDiarmid. Burned in the 1960s. |
Some plantations were built after the civil war and abolition of slavery.
The following persons were large plantation owners for which the plantation has not yet been identified.
Originally form Virginia the J.A. Evans Family moved from Edgecombe County, N.C. through Nash County, N.C. to Pine Level in Johnston County, N.C. in 1850 A.D. and started a farm which eventually through land purchases became the 6,000 acre Tall Pines Plantation, Founded in 1870 A.D. by Jane Barns Evans widow of J.A. Evans CSA. The family lost control of the property in 1938 A.D. after the Great Financial Depression and gained some compensation for the land through legal action taking by the Evans family in 1947 A.D. Descendants of the J.A. Evans Family in 2020 A.D. were still living in the Pine Level area. Jane Barnes Evans was a cotton Baroness and part owner of the North Carolina Railroad which ran through part of her Tall Pines Plantation which supplied fresh water to the North Carolina Railroad for the use of steam engine locomotives.