COUNTY Wilson County Bullock-Dew House Sims North Carolina

I

13

#------------------

.1

ivi

___

l_s_o_n

______

COUNTY

______

---''--

____

QUAD

____

=-

___

MULTIPLE RESOURCE

OR

THEMATIC

NOMINATION

Wilson

County

HISTORIC

Bullock-Dew

House

AND/OR

COMMON

STREET &

NUMBER

CITY.

TOWN

Sims

STATE

North

Carolina

CATEGORY

_DISTRICT

XBUILDING(S)

_STRUCTURE

OWNERSHIP

_PUBLIC

}{

PRIVA

TE

_ BOTH

X VICINITY

OF

CODE

037

STATUS

X-OCCUPIED

__

UNOCCUPIED

-_

WORK

IN

PROGRESS

_SITE

PUBLIC

ACQUISITION

ACCESSIBLE

__

OBJECI

NAME

Alfred

Jones

STRHT

&

NUM(jER

RFD

#_2

CITY.TOWN

COURTHOUSE

REGI STRY

OF

DE

E

as,

ETC

STREET lit

NUMBER

Nash

Street

Wilson

NAME

/ TITLE

__

IN

PROCESS

N/A

X-

YES RESTRICTED

BEING

CONSIDERED

__ YES

UNRESTRICTED

_NO

Wilson

County

Courthouse

Second

COUNTY

Wilson

CODE

195

PRESENT

USE

-AGRICULTURE

_MUSEUM

_COMMERCIAL

_PARK

_EDUCA

TlONAL

XPRIVA

TE

RESIDENCE

_ENTERTAINMENT

_RELIGIOUS

_GOVERNMENT

_SCIENTIFIC

_INDUSTRIAL

_ TRAN

SPORTATION

_MILITARY

_OTHER

STATE

North

Carolina

Kate

Ohno,

Preservation

Consultant

to

Wilson

County

October

19,

1981

ORGANIZATION

DA

TE

Surve

&

Plannin

Branch

Division

of

Arc

733-6545

STREET

lit

NUMBER

109

E.

Jones

street

CiTY

OR

T(]y"

N

STA

TE

_EXCELLENT

XGOOD

_fAIR

_DETERIORATED

_RUINS

_ UNEXPOSED

_UNALTERED

XALTERED

XOAIGINAL

SITE

_MOVED

DATE

__

_

(IF

KNOWN)

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

The

Bullock-Dew

House

is

located

in

the

northwestern

section

of

Wil-

son

County

near

the

Nash

County

line

The

house

stands

on

the

north

side

of

SR

1131

on

a

rise

overlooking

the

surrounding

farm

land.

Only

a

few

of

the

large

oak

trees

which

were

planted

at

the

turn

of

the

century

still

stand

in

the

vicinity

of

the

house,

but

a

stand

of

young

pine

trees

shields

the

house

from

the

road.

The

house

itself

is

an

elaborate

turn-of-the-century

farmhouse

The

design

of

the

house

owes

much

to

the

Queen

Anne

style,

and

fine

materials

including

a

wealth

of

stained

glass

and

turned

and

sawnwork

ornament

greatly

enhance

its

appeal.

The

asymmetrical

massing

of

the

house,

with

its

multiple

cross

gables

and

ornate

and

extensive

porches

give

it

a

pic-

turesque

quality.

The

five-bay

two-story

house

features

a

hipped

slate

roof

with

crockets,

interior

chimneys,

and

a

one-story

kitchen

ell

at

the

rear.

Two-story

cross-gable

projections

interrupt·

both

the

front

and

side

elevations.

The

front

one

has

a

three-sided

bay

at

the

first

floor.

Each

of

these

have

gable

cornice

returns

containing

elaborate

sawnwork

sunburst

gable

ornaments.

A

richly

detailed

porch

stretches

around

the

front

and

part

of

each

side

elevation

and

reflects

the

Japanese

influence

so

popular

during

the

late

nineteenth

and

early

twentieth

centuries.

A

pedimented

entry

with

scalloped

shingles,

curved

brackets

and

spindlework

frames

the

front

door.

The

balustrade

is

partly

panelled

and

partly

executed

in

an

oriental

style

latticework

design.

Turned

columns

with

rondels

support

the

porch

while

sawnwork

members

cut

in

the

shape

of

parentheses

accent

each

bay

of

the

porch.

Another

porch

on

the

second

floor

boasts

more

turned

spindlework,

turned

balusters

and

a

peaked-roof

pavilion

suspended

over

the

first

floor

porch.

The

window

treatment

also

adds

much

to

the

house.

A

single-pane

lower

sash

is

surmounted

by

an

upper

sash

edged

by

multiple

small

squares

of

stained

glass.

This

window

treatment

is

used

throughout

the

house.

The

double

front

doors

also

boast

a

similar

transom

and

the

windows

in

the

upper

part

of

the

doors

are

also

outlined

with

stained

glass.

The

lower

doors

are

panelled

and

both

panels

and

lights

are

sur-

rounded

by

carved,

turned

and

incised

molding.

The

house

as

it

stands

today

is

much

the

same

as

when

it

was

built

circa

1902.

The

present

owners

have

added

a

shed

roof

wing

to

the

rear

which

houses

a

modern

kitchen

and

breakfast

room

and

this

wing

has

sliding

glass

doors

which

open

onto

a

patio.

On

the

interior

the

house

has

also

been

largely

kept

intact.

A

cen-

tral

hall

plan

is

followed

with

the

stairs

rising

from

the

front

part

of

the

hall.

The

front

door

opens

onto

a

front

hall

wains

coated

waist-high

with

beaded

boards.

An

elaborate

carved

and

incised

newel

post

is

set

at

the

bottom

of

the

stairs

which

rise

to

a

landing

set

midway

up

the

stairs;

the

turned

balusters

are

attenuated.

An

arched

opening

with

a

transom

and

double

multi-panel

glass

doors

separates

the

front

hall

from

the

rest

of

the

house.

The

interior

woodwork

is

still

in

place

and

intact.

The

window

and

door

surrounds

consist

of

broad

reeded

and

molded

bands

rising

to

square

corner

blocks

at

the

top

of

the

windows

and

doors

with

rondels.

The

man-

tels

surround

small

coal-burning

fire

places

and

are

generally

ornamented

with

fluting,

reeding

and

rondels.

Some

mantels

have

bevelled

mirrors

FHR--8-300

(11-78)

Wilson

County

MR

Continuation sheet

Bullock-Dew

House,

#

13

Item number 7

set

in

punched

and

carved

cases.

The

dining

room,

at

the

rear,

has

a

built-in

cupboard

with

incised

designs

and

rondels,

similar

to

the

door

and

window

surrounds.

The

room

is

wainscoated

like

the

hall.

1

The

house

is

surrounded

by

productive

farm

land

and

three

frame

sheds

and

one

barn

with

a

loft

and

an

equipment

shelter

are

directly

associated

with

the

house.

The

farm

buildings

include

a

two-story

frame

packhouse

with

metal

siding,

three

frame

and

one

masonry

tobacco

barns,

and

a

one-

story

frame

warehouse.

The

Bullock-Dew

House

has

been

well

preserved

and

sympathetically

renovated

by

its

present

owners

and

as

it

stands

today

it

is

the

finest

turn-of-the-century

farmhouse

extant

in

Wilson

County.

This

house

compares

favorably

with

similar

houses

being

built

in

Wilson

popular

residential

neighborhoods

during

the

same

period.

The

structure,

of

course,

is

closely

related

to

the

surrounding

environment.

Archaeo-

logical

remains,

such

as

trash

pits,

wells,

and

structural

remains,

which

may

be

present,

can

provide

information

valuable

to

the

understanding

and

interpretation

of

the

structure.

Information

concerning

use

patterns,

social

standing

and

mobility,

as

well

as

structural

details

are

often

only

evident

in

the

archaeological

record.

Therefore,

archaeological

remains

may

well

be

an

important

component

of

the

significance

of

the

structure.

At

this

time

no

investigation

has

been

done

to

discover

these

remains,

but

it

is

probable

that

they

exist,

and

this

should

be

considered

in

any

development

of

the

property.

____

NATIONAL

STATE

PERIOD

_PREHISTORIC

_1400-1499

__

1500-1599

_1600-1699

_1700-1

i99

.

_1800-1899

X1900-

-ARCHEULOGY-PREHISTORIC

-ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC

-AGRICULTURE

XARCHITECTURE

-ART

_COMMERCE

_COMMUNICATIONS

SPECIFIC DATES

ca.

1902

STATEMENT

OF

SIGNIFICANCE

OF

SIGNIFICANCE

CHECK

AND

JUSTIFY

BELOW

_COMMUNITY

PLANNING

_LANDSCAPE

ARCHITECTURE

_CONSERVATION

_LAW

_ECONOMICS

_LITERATURE

_EDUCATION

_MILITARV

_ENGINEERING

_MUSIC

_EXPLORA

nON/SETTLEMENT

_PHILOSOPHY

_'NDUSTRY

_POLITICS/GOVERNMENT

_'NVENTION

BUI

LDERI

ARCH ITECT

Unknown

LOCAL

_RELIGION

_SCIENCE

_SCULPTURE

_SOCIAUHUMANITARIAN

_THEATER

_ TRANSPORT A TlON

_OTHER

(SPECIFY)

The

Bullock-Dew

House,

built

for

Washington

Plummer

Bullock,

is

the

finest

and

most

elaborate

Queen

Anne-inspired

farmhouse

in

Wilson

County,

and

rivals

the

fine

turn-

of-the~century

town

houses

built

in

the

county

seat

of

Wilson

for

substance

and

detailing.

The

house

was

constructed

around

1902

and

stands

largely

intact

with

a

wealth

of

turned

and

sawnwork

detail.

The

residence

is

still

the

seat

of

a

farming

operation

and

has

a

complement

of

outbuildings

associated

with

it.

CRITERIA ASSESSMENT

C.

The

Bullock-Dew

House

is

the

finest

example

of

rural

Queen

Anne-inspired

architec-

ture

in

Wilson

County.

With

its

elaborate

and

intricate

sawnwork

detailing,

the

house

compares

favorable

with

the

well-executed

turn-of-the-century

residences

built

in

Wilson

during

that

period.

--~----

--------

---

------

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

This

lively

Queen

Anne

Ie

farmhouse

was

built

at

the

turn

the

for

Washington

Plummer

Bullock

W P

Bullock

was,

the

son

of

Bennett

Bullock,

Jr

,

one

of

Old

Fields

Township's

leadin~

farmers

and

his

wife,

Harriet

Boykin

Bullock.

l

W P

Bullock

was

born

on

May

15,

1865,

and

lived

during

his

early

years

on

his

father's

plantation

in

Old

Fields

Town-

ship

2

On

October

17,

1888,

he

married

Charlotte

Elizabeth

Smith

3

Bul

lock,

like

his

father,

was

a

farmer.

Several

years

before

his

marriage

his

father

conveyed

a

ninety-six

and

a

half

acre

tract

to

his

son

near

the

site

of

the

present

house

j

4

In

1890

Bennett

Bullock

conveyed

an

additional

two

and

one-seventh

acres

and

in

1896

a

twenty-two

acre

tract

adjoining

the

first

tract

to

his

son.

6

No

documentation

could

be

found

on

the

location

of

Bullock's

first

house,

but

it

is

possible

that

it

was

converted

into

a

tenant

house

or

torn

down

to

make

way

for

the

larger,

more

elegant

house

that

he

had

built

around

the

turn

of

the

century.

Local

tradition

maintains

that

Bullock

claimed

that

he

was

going

to

build

lithe

best

house

in

Wilson

County.

,,7 And

the

results

certainly

give

weight

to

his

claim.

The

commodious

slate

roofed

residence

is

competitive

in

size

and

in

the

elegance

of

its

appoint-

ments

with

contemporary

townhouses

built

in

Wilson,

the

county

seat.

Unfortunately

the

precise

date

of

construction,

the

architect

and

the

contractor

of

the

house

are

unknown.

According

to

Thurman

M.

Bullock,

w.

P.

Bullock's

son,

the

house

was

built

around

1902

when

Thurman

Bullock

was

about

two

years

01d.8

Thurman

Bullock,

although

he

does

not

remember

the

name

of

the

architect

or

contractor

claims

that

they

were

both

from

Wilson.

9

Bullock

remembers

"At

that

time

[when

the

house

was

completed]

it

was

considered

the

nicest

horne

any

where

around

that

part

of

the

country.

I'

The

building

of

such

a

fine

house

apparently

contributed

to

Bullock's

financial

troubles

~nd

from

1898

until

he

sold

the

property

in

1916

it

was

heavily

mortgaged.

1

The

mortgage

was

on

all

three

tracts

of

land

con-

veyed

to

Bullock

by

his

father,

and

the

house

tract

is

not

mentioned

spe-

cifically

being

linked

to

anyone

of

these

tracts,

so

it

is

impossible

to

tell

upon

which

tract

the

house

was

constructed.

Finally

Bullock

decided

to

sellout,

and

in

1916

he

conveyed

the

three

tracts

from

his

father

to

Bullock,

James

Garland.

Families

of

Bullock,

Roebuck.

np.,

1977.

Letter

from

Thurman

M.

Bullock

to

author

dated

May

8,

1980.

Wilson

County

Deeds,

Wilson

County

Courthouse.

Wilson

County

Vital

Statistics

records,

Wilson

County

Courthouse.

ACREAGE

OF

NOMINATED

PROPERTY

_---:.3..::;.1...:....

6..;;...7~a::;...;c;;..;;;r;...;;;;e..;;;:.s_

UTM

REFERENCES

VERBAL

BOUNDARY

D'ESCRIPTION

Property

nominated

consists

of

parcell,

Wilson

County

tax

map

#

271-9-1.

See

enclosed

map

with

property

outlined

in

red.

fHR-&-300

(11-78)

Wilson

County

MR

sheet

Bullock-Dew

House,

#

13

Item number

8

1

W.

R.

Dew

and

moved

to

Seaboard,

North

Carolina,

with

his

family.12

William

Ramson

Dew

was

born

in

Nash

c~unty

on

August

5,

1865,

and

he

was

the

son

of

William

Dew

and

Jane

Finch.

3

W.

R.

Dew

was

a

farmer

and

he

occupied

the

Bullock-Dew

House

from

1916

until

1945

when

he

conveyed

the

pro~~rty

to

his

daughter,

Nola

Dew

Jeanes,

and

her

husband,

L.

W.

Jeanes.

Mrs.

Jeanes

and

her

husband

occupied

the

house

for

some

years,

but

in

recent

years

used

the

house

for

rental

property.15

In

1979

Mrs.

Jeanes

sold

the

house

and

seventy-two

acres

of

the

original

land

to

Alfred

and

Pearl

Jones,

the

present

owners.

16

The

house

had

been

neglected

for

some

years

and

the

Joneses

have

since

their

purchase

in

1979

struggled

to

renovate

the

house

in

a

manner

sympa-

thetic

to

its

original

character.

Their

efforts

have

been

well

rewarded,

and

the

house,

with

new

paint

and

new

mechanical,

electrical

and

plumbing

systems,

now

serves

as

their

home.

The

land

surrounding

the

house

has

been

kept

in

agricultural

use

by

Jones,

who

is

a

farmer.

Footnotes

1

James

Garland

Bullock,

Families

of

Bullock,

Roebuck.

n.p.,

1977,

hereinafter

cited

as

Bullock,

Bullock

Family.

2

Bullock,

Bullock

Family.

3

Bullock,

Bullock

Family.

4

Bennett

Bullock

to

W.

P.

Bullock,

August

20,

1884,

Book

21,

362,

Wilson

County

Deeds,

Wilson.

5

Bennett

Bullock

to

W.

P.

Bullock,

March

1,

1890,

Book

29,

7,

Wilson

County

Deeds,

Wilson.

6

Bennett

Bullock

to

W.

P.

Bullock,

October

15,

1896,

Book

42,

367,

Wilson

County

Deeds,

Wilson.

7Author's

interview

with

Clinton

o.

Barnes,

nephew

of

W.

P.

Bullock.

8

Letter

from

Thurman

M.

Bullock

to

the

author

dated

May

8,

1980,

hereinafter

cited

as

Bullock

letter.

9Bullock

letter.

10BUllock

letter.

11

Mortgages

were

granted

by

W.

P.

Bullock

to

J.

H.

Boykin,

W.

H.

Morriss,

H. G.

Connor,

John

F.

Bruton

and

W.

A.

Finch.

See

Deed

Book

46,

32;

80,

465;

92,

9;

92-538;

and

94,

164,

Wilson

County

Deeds,

Wilson.

FHA-8-300

(11-78)

Wilson

County

MR

sheet

Bullock-Dew

House,

#13

Item number

8 2

12W.

P.

Bullock

to

W.

R. Dew,

November

25,

1916,

Book

106,

488,

Wilson

County

Deeds,

Wilson.

13Wilson

County

Vital

Statistics

records,

Wilson

County

Courthouse.

14

W.

R. Dew

to

Nola

Dew

Jeanes

and

L.

W.

Jeanes,

December

28,

1945,

Book

313,

480,

Wilson

County

Deeds,

Wilson.

15

h

U'

•

'h

I'

h

1980

h f

Aut

or

s

lntevlew

Wlt

C

lnton

O.

Barnes,

Marc

, ,

nep

ew 0

W.

P.

Bullock

who

lived

in

Rock

Ridge

until

his

death.

16

Nola

Dew

Jeanes

to

Alfred

A.

and

Pearl

M.

Jones,

February

16,

1979,

Book

1169,

537,

Wilson

County

Deeds,

Wilson.

Bibliography

Author1s

interview

with

Clinton

O.

Barnes,

nephew

of

W.

P.

Bullock.

Barnes

lived

in

Rock

Ridge

until

his

death.

Bullock,

James

Garland,

Families

of

Bullock,

Roebuck,

n.p,

1977.

Letter

from

Thurman

M.

Bullock

to

author

dated

May

8,

1980.

Mr.

Bullock

is

W.

P.

Bullock's

only

surviving

child.

Wilson

County

Deeds,

Wilson

County

Courthouse.

Wilson

County

Vital

Statistics

records,

Wilson

County

Courthouse.

Form

1IHIOO-1

OMS

No.

1024-0018

0-31

7

Continuation sheet

Bullock-Dew

House Item

10,

13

1

10

-

Boundary

Justification

The

Bullock-Dew

House was

built

as

the

seat

of

a

farm

of

about

120

acres

at

the

turn

of

the

twentieth

century.

The

farm

was

sold

in

1916,

and

72

acres

were

again

sold

with

the

house

in

1979.

The

31.67

acres

being

nominated

are

a

small

working

farm

which

remains

associated

with

the

house.

13

-

Photographs

The

Bullock-Dew

House was

originally

surveyed

in

1980

during

the

county

inventory.

The

site

was

revisited

in

1985

to

determine

the

present

condition

of

the

property

and

the

photographs

with

the

nomination

accurately

depict

the

present

condition

of

the

house.

(6

)

B.

I -

36

)

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PARTMENT

OF

INTERIOR

GEOLOGICAL

SURVEY

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Bullock-Dew

House

~ilson

County,

N

C.

~~

Lucama

Quadrangle

Zone

17

Scale

1:24

000

A

B

C

D

17

17

17

17

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