625 W Main Street, Murfreesboro, NC 27855
$525,000 | 1875 | 4,600 Sq. Ft. | 5 Beds | 3 Baths | 8.18 Acres
If you are like me and you love houses that feel like they have a soul, you are going to be absolutely floored by this property. There is a special kind of magic that happens when a home is preserved so perfectly that walking through the front door feels like stepping through a portal to the past. The David A. Barnes House in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, is exactly that. Built in 1875, this isn’t just a house; it is a masterpiece of Italianate architecture on over eight sprawling acres of land. For anyone who appreciates the work of master builders and the quiet dignity of a historic estate, this is a once-in-a-lifetime find.
When you talk about historic homes in this part of the country, the name Jacob W. Holt is legendary. He was a master builder known for creating homes that were grand, sturdy, and filled with intricate details. This house is one of his finest works. From the street, you see the classic Italianate hip roof with those beautiful decorative gables. The house still wears its original weatherboard siding, which has been protected by a pressed-metal roof. It’s a solid, proud structure that has watched the world change for 150 years while staying true to its roots.
To get to the front door, you walk down a long, ornamental path framed by mature trees and flower beds. It feels like a royal procession. You are greeted by a wide front porch with beautiful paneled posts and hand-sawn brackets. This is the kind of porch where stories were told and summer nights were enjoyed long before the invention of air conditioning. Once you step inside the center-hall foyer, you see the “wow” factor: a grand, ornate staircase that shows off the incredible skill of the craftsmen who worked here in the 1870s.
The main floor is what we call a “double-pile” plan, meaning it has two rooms on each side of the central hallway. These rooms were the heart of social life in the 1800s. There is a “morning room” and a music room, both filled with heavy molded woodwork and plaster crown moldings. The ceilings feature stunning plaster medallions where grand chandeliers once hung. One of my favorite things about this style of home is the windows—they are tall and arched, letting in a soft, beautiful light that makes the original hardwood floors glow.
If you love clever design, you will adore the pocket doors. These massive wooden doors slide into the walls, allowing you to open up the front rooms to the side porches. It’s a wonderful way to let the breeze flow through the house and enjoy the view of your eight acres. Throughout the main floor, you will find multiple mantels made of real marble and slate. Each one is a different design, and they serve as beautiful centerpieces for every room.
This house holds a very special secret for history buffs. In the rear of the home, you will find one of the very first indoor bathrooms ever installed in Murfreesboro. It still has its original fixtures! Usually, in 1875, people were still using outhouses, so having indoor plumbing was a sign of extreme luxury and forward-thinking. It’s a fascinating look at how our ancestors lived and how much they valued their “modern” comforts.
The dining room is just as grand as the rest of the house, featuring a lovely built-in China cabinet to hold your family treasures. A “hyphen”—which is just a fancy word for a connecting hallway—leads from the main house to the historic kitchen. This kitchen was originally a separate building to keep the heat and the risk of fire away from the main living areas. It has been restored with so much love and sensitivity to its original 1875 form, making it a truly unique place to cook and gather.
Heading up that ornate front staircase (or using the simpler “servants” staircase in the back), you find four large bedrooms upstairs. Each room has its own period mantel and “three-part surrounds” on the doors and windows. These rooms are spacious and quiet, perfect for a good night’s sleep. And if you need even more space, there is a walk-up attic with exposed rafters and rare “quatrefoil” windows—those are the ones shaped like four-leaf clovers. It’s a magical space that could be a hidden studio or a library.
What really sets this property apart from any other is the collection of original 1875 outbuildings. Most properties lose these over time, but here they are, standing tall. You get the original kitchen house, two structures that are believed to have housed the master builder’s craftsmen, and an ornate four-seat “privy.” While you won’t need the privy for its original purpose today, it is an extraordinary piece of architectural history. There are also later barns and utility buildings, giving you plenty of room for horses, farming, or hobby workshops.
The property is enclosed by a wire fence and offers over eight acres of land. In a historic town like Murfreesboro, having this much land is almost unheard of. You have room for horses, a massive garden, or even a small orchard. The grounds are filled with mature trees that provide shade and a sense of deep peace. It feels like your own private park, yet you are just a short walk from the historic downtown and Chowan University.
Murfreesboro is a town that truly loves its history. When you move into the David A. Barnes House, you aren’t just a homeowner; you become the protector of a National Register property. You’ll be part of a community that appreciates the “slow life” and the beauty of the past. At $525,000, you are getting an 8-acre estate for a price that would barely buy a small condo in a big city.
This home is for the person who wants to touch history every single day. It’s for the person who loves the smell of old wood, the look of hand-carved marble, and the feeling of 150 years of stories surrounding them. It is a one-of-a-kind treasure that is ready to welcome its next family.
Photos:
Listed by:
Shane Noblin 252-722-4740,
eXp Realty
Also listed on Zillow!
