18th century Raleigh home added to National Register of Historic Places

The Nathaniel Jones Jr. House, a Federal-style plantation home built around 1795, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The house, formerly known as the Crabtree Jones House, was built by Raleigh settler Nathaniel “Crabtree” Jones Jr., who was active in local and state politics. It’s thought to be one of Raleigh’s oldest houses, and it was first placed on the National Register in 1973.

A new designation was required, however, after the house was moved a short distance in 2014 from a hill facing Wake Forest Road. Preservation North Carolina, a statewide advocacy group, worked to save the house from demolition after developers announced plans for apartments on the site.

“It’s one of the most important houses in Raleigh,” said J. Myrick Howard, president of Preservation North Carolina. “It’s a really fine example of early buildings in the city and one of few old, quality homes.”

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources recently announced that three districts and 13 individual properties across the state were added to the register after being reviewed by an advisory committee and approved by the state’s historic preservation officer.

“North Carolina is a leader in the nation’s historic preservation movement,” Susan Kluttz, secretary of the department, said in a statement. “These buildings and homes tell the North Carolina story, and every effort should be made to preserve them.”

Along with the Nathaniel Jones Jr. House, the list included a second Raleigh site – John Chavis Memorial Park, which was added to the register last spring.

The park was built for African-Americans by the federal Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. Black families visited the park in Southeast Raleigh to enjoy outdoor activities typically denied to them by segregation.

After segregation ended, the park’s popularity declined. In recent years, the neighborhood has experienced gentrification as more people have moved downtown.

This story was originally published December 5, 2016 at 4:30 PM with the headline "18th century Raleigh home added to National Register of Historic Places."