225 Dick Street
Fayetteville, NC 28301
910-483-6009

 The Baker-Haigh-Nimocks House

History of the house

 

Description of the Baker-Haigh-Nimocks House Property

The Baker-Haigh-Nimocks House, was built in 1804, is an example of Georgian architecture, perfectly balanced and symmetrical inside and out. It is believed to have been built by ship builders from the north who came south during the cold and severe winters and to build homes. The Nimocks House exhibits a proportional, classical and “regular” style. “Regular” styles are defined by mathematical ratios (such as the golden mean) that are used to determine every measurement from the floor layout to the width to height ratio of the windows. Their unique building style probably explains the unusual barrel staircase design in the Nimocks House. In addition, the hand carved cornices, wainscoting, mantels and hand-punched gouge work are beautifully detailed and type of the period. Georgian Style homes were typically painted red, tan, and/or white if not constructed from brick or stone.

The front entrance features a cozy introduction to the home. The light fixture at the top of the staircase was planned for use in the state capital building if Fayetteville had remained the capital. The two upstairs rooms feature dormer windows and individual fireplaces.

The dormer windows are American Colonial, four across the front and five across the back of the house. Each piece of weatherboarding has a beaded edge. 

All workmanship was by hand and wood pegs were used in construction. The circular staircase in the back hall winds to the second story. At the top on the newel post is a small shelf with a brass candleholder inset. The handrail is mahogany, the stringer handcarved and the panel wainscoting was cut from a large tree and curved. The middle dormer window opens into this back hall area.

The Woman’s Club purchased the home in 1966. 

Parts of this article were taken from an article in The Fayetteville Observer, June 19, 1961.

History of the Baker-Haigh-Nimocks House

1781 to Present

There were twenty-four acres in the land sold by George Logan of Wilmington to Mark Russell in 1781 who sold it to Thomas White in 1800. Little is known about White but the deeds show that the property passed to Isabella White and was sold at auction by the sheriff in 1804 to Duncan McLeran. Just before his death in 1822 he sold the property to James Baker (1818) for $2,000. It is believed that the present house was erected by McLeran.

In 1818 James Baker took his bride to 309 Dick Street (now 233 Dick Street). The house at it now stands look no different. The Bakers’ lived there until 1849, when he moved to Holly Springs and sold the house to Charles T. Gardner who sold it to Joseph E. Bryan in 1850. In 1852 Gardner sold the house to Charles T. Haigh to give to his daughter-in-law, Katie Badger Haigh and her husband William H. Haigh, as a gift.

William Haigh was in the Confederate Army, was captured, and remained a prisoner for the duration. One morning in March 1865, Mrs. Katie Haugh looked down Dick Street, from her father-in-law’s house and saw waving from her porch the Union Flag. She found that some of Sherman’s Army had taken up headquarters there. It is remembered that a tree which stood directly in front of the house had a piece of chain to which the horses were hitched, and through the years the tree had grown around the chain. After Major Haigh’s death, the house was sold to Quincy K. Nimocks in 1893.

The Woman’s Club purchased the home in 1966.