Tanglewood Farm is one of the finest intact farms in Johnston County, North Carolina. Tanglewood Farm was originally built in 1835 for Bernice Harris Tomlinson upon his marriage to Elizabeth Walton. Since that time over four generations of the Tomlinson family have called Tanglewood Farm their home. Original windows, mantels, floors, wainscoting, picture rails and doors are still inside this home. In the 1870’s Tanglewood Farm was added onto. It gained a wide wrap around porch, a few wings and several outbuildings. Situated on 3.45 acres in Clayton, North Carolina. The 13 stall mule barn was built in 1910 and is the only one left in Johnston County. There is a grove of walnut and pecan trees. The boxwoods were planted in 1861 as a wedding gift John Harris and wife Susan Wall Tomlinson. 3,558 square feet. $159,000
From the Preservation North Carolina listing:
Built and occupied by over four generations of the Tomlinson Family, Tanglewood is one of the finest intact farm complexes in Johnston County. This spacious ‘L-shaped’ Federal/Greek Revival house was built for Bernice Harris Tomlinson upon his marriage to Elizabeth Walton in 1835. The original two-story front and rear ell each have large double-shouldered chimneys, tall 9-over-6 windows, a wide central entry hall with fine woodgrained wainscoting and winder stair, and a rear service stair that provided access to the rear portion of the second floor until additional access and flow was added in the 1890s. The initials of John Harris Tomlinson, Bernice’s son, can be found in one of the chimney bricks on the southeast side. Likewise, a few names with dates can be found in the southeast parlor window. The northwest parlor features tall plaster cornices and ceiling medallion, and excellent faux woodgraining on the doors and wainscot.
The house was enlarged in the 1870s by son John Harris, and again in the early 20th-century by grandson William David, resulting in a wide wrap-around porch, several wings and more “modern” outbuildings like car garages.
This early farmstead sits on almost 3.5- acres with a collection of outbuildings ranging from an 1830s gable storage building, an early 1830s smokehouse and a later 1870s smokehouse, a c.1879 kitchen/dining room (now attached by a porch), a few early 20th-century sheds, garages, bell tower, a caretaker’s cottage, and a c.1910 13-stall mule barn – the only one left in Johnston County. Some of the early landscape features remain, including a grove of mature shade trees including walnuts and pecans along with a grove of elms and boxwoods planted as a wedding gift in 1861 to John Harris and Susan Wall Tomlinson.
Tanglewood will require a complete rehabilitation including cosmetic updates, new kitchen and bathrooms, repair/updates of the mechanical systems, chimney repair, and structural work for the “kitchen building.” The property is on the Study List for the National Register and may be eligible for tax credits once fully listed.
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