The History
August 2015
Price: Free (must be moved)
Location: Enfield, North Carolina
Contact: Robert Parrott, 919-832-3652, ext. 230
Known as Branch Grove, this farmhouse started as a humble Georgian cottage. In the 1840s, wealthy farmer Samuel Branch—part of a well-to-do family that included prominent tradesmen and even a three-term governor—added on the much larger front-facing Federal structure.
The farmhouse has a decorated history: It’s the birthplace of Alpheus Branch, Samuel’s son, who went on to found Branch Banking and Trust (BB&T), one of the nation’s largest banks. The house is still part of a working farm but has been vacant since the 1970s, and now Preservation North Carolina is looking for a buyer.
Shown: The primary structure’s original portico has a classic Federal-style fanlight above the front door.
Why Save it?
This quaint cottage turned refined farmhouse features a blend of Federal and Georgian styles. The simple facade showcases a hallmark Federal portico.
Shown: The front door features a semicircular fanlight, a hallmark of Federal style.
Original Woodwork
Inside, the rooms have tall ceilings and wide-plank heart-pine floors, wide-board and paneled wainscoting, and wood trim around the nine-over-nine and six-over-nine windows.
Those heart-pine floors are part of what makes this farmhouse such a find. According to the U.S. Forest Service’s Center for Wood Anatomy Research, heart pine is one of more than 50 common names for the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), a species long valued for its exceptionally strong, hard, and rot- and insect-resistant wood. By the early 20th century, overharvesting, seedling-loving feral hogs, and forest-fire suppression led to the near extinction of the older, most desirable trees as a commercial resource—making original heart-pine boards like these increasingly rare
Shown: Southern heart-pine floors line the wainscoted interior; most of the boards are ripe for restoration.
Pro Tip: Original heart-pine boards often hide beneath later additions and can be reinstalled with patience. As carpenter Bruce McNall told This Old House Magazine about a similar project: “I pried all the old heart pine off the walls, hammered out the nails, and reinstalled each piece.” That kind of board-by-board approach is exactly what this farmhouse’s wide-plank floors and wainscoting will reward.
What it Needs?
The Federal portion of the house has fared better than the older Georgian part, which has lost most of its flooring.
Shown: The staircase in the main part of the house is still in place and missing only a few balusters.
Pro Tip: Tom Silva, This Old House general contractor, reminds buyers evaluating an old house that some settling is expected: “Wood sags as it gets older, just as we do.” The real warning signs, he notes, are whole-building lean or sag, which can point to a badly rotted sill—”the beam that sits right on the foundation.”
New Roof Needed
Electrical and plumbing systems need updating throughout, and you’ll have to replace some windows and part of the roof.
Shown: The old Georgian cottage portion in back is experiencing some decay thanks to a growing hole in the roof.
Federal-Style
The house must be moved within 25 miles of its current location. The good news is that suitable lots start at $2,500 per acre—and with its powerful pedigree and stately style, Branch Grove is worth the effort.
Shown: The old mantels, now stored elsewhere, boast Federal-style woodwork.
Got a House? If you know of an old house that should be saved and is for sale, write to savethisoldhouse@timeinc.com or This Old House, 135 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10020.
