The Internet has made reams of historic data available for nerds like myself, digging into the nooks and crannies of old buildings, attempting to reconstruct a timeline and story for forgotten buildings. But for every National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nomination I can retrieve on my computer, there are thousands and thousands of evocative dwellings that remain shrouded in mystery – like this silent gem in Trenton, North Carolina.
Side elevation and facade.
I’ve been through Trenton many times, and written about the Brock Millpond and the Trenton United Methodist Church – but this house, located just outside the boundaries of the local NRHP-listed historic district – haunts me.*
Trenton, with a population hovering around 300, is the county seat of Jones County, in the eastern part of the state.
Facade and a line of additions to the rear…
The three bay wide facade is arresting, but what really fascinates me is the staccato line of ells and additions extending to the rear of the house. How I would love to explore those meandering rooms!
Facade.
A chorus line of window “treatments” obscure any view inside a peeping architectural historian might gain – an old sheet, mini-blinds, and even an old door on the second story (though I’m definitely not that tall).
The frame house rests upon brick piers, and has a central passage plan, with chimneys flanking that main hallway. Narrow, two-light transoms are perched above the doors sheltered underneath the two-story portico.
Detail of portico.
Despite not being able to come up with any historic information on this dwelling, and lamenting the poor quality of my rushed photographs – I love to look at these images and just wonder. Maybe someday the story of this building will filter to me, and my imagination can link names and events to this lonely beauty of a house.
*The house, being located outside of the historic district, is therefore not recorded in the information available from the National Park Service or the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Like Kentucky, North Carolina maintains a state survey or inventory of historic resources, but no county wide survey report is available for Jones County (none is available digitally, though it does appear that a comprehensive survey was conducted in the late 1990s).
What a treat to see the pictures of this awesome house on your website! Thank you!!
It just screams, MAKE ME BEAUTIFUL AGAIN!
How right you are! This house is a real heart-breaker to one who longs for the older, simpler days. I can smell its smell and feel the air it holds. Those ells are fascinating. One with a roof covered in ivy. My first thought? “Oh Janie, don’t go in! You might do more than rip your pants.”
Annie
Though the roof looked pretty sound… 🙂
The Architectural History of Jones County, North Carolina by Christina R. Moon was published by the Jones County Historical Society in 2016. Although I have about a dozen North Carolina county architectural histories, I have not picked that one up. Based on all the recent North Carolina county architectural histories I have seen, a house of this caliber would probably be found in the Jones County book. North Carolina is the envy of all architectural historians for their county-by-county surveys and publications conducted under the auspices of their State Historic Preservation Office. Here is a list just of the published books, it includes the ordering information for The Architectural History of Jones County, North Carolina: http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/bibliog.htm.
Your Trenton dream house looks structurally sound, despite a noticeable period of abandonment. The foundation piers and metal roof look sturdy and intact, though the porch flooring looks a little suspect. It would not be too much of an undertaking to restore that house as long as someone does it in the near future before too much deterioration occurs.
That’s great to know! I only checked the SHPO survey report list: http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/surveyreports.html and didn’t see anything, so I am glad something has been compiled and published. Yes, I wish our SHPO had the funds (either from the HPF or from the legislature) to conduct surveys, but every penny goes to simply keeping people employed and the lights on…Kentucky hasn’t had any survey and planning grant funds since 2010, and sadly, we don’t have a strong, well-established non-profit like Preservation NC to help. I have several of Catherine Bishir’s books. If you happen to buy the Jones County book – let me know! I would love to see any background information on this house, but I can’t justify spending that right now when I just embarked on a restoration project…$80 will buy much-needed paint and primer!