The Cullen Pippen House, Edgecombe County, NC

From March of 2025

The Cullen Pippen House is a rare architectural blend of two historic homes joined into one. The older Georgian section dates to around 1790 and was built by Joseph Pippen, an Ensign who served in the Revolutionary War. In 1810, Pippen constructed a second home in the Federal style. The two houses stood independently for nearly two centuries before being carefully seamed together during a 1989 renovation that preserved much of their original character. Heart pine floors, five fireplaces with hand-crafted mantels, massive exterior doors weighing roughly 250 pounds each remain defining features of the home.

However, the property’s history extends far beyond its architecture. Joseph Pippen is buried on the land alongside his grandson, Cullen Pippen, for whom the house is named, and many other family members. Cullen Pippen and six of his brothers served during the Civil War. Cullen survived, though two of his brothers were killed and two others were seriously wounded. The land also played a role during the war itself—on April 24, 1864, more than 2,400 Union prisoners were given sustenance here during their march from Plymouth to Tarboro en route to prisoner-of-war camps.

I visited the Cullen Pippen House in March of 2025 after being graciously contacted by its newest owner, Leonard Todd, who had purchased the property the previous December and told me to stop by anytime. I distinctly remember the long, tree-lined drive of Bradford pear trees—beautiful, though we laughed about their unmistakable springtime scent—stretching all the way to the road.

As I photographed the property, the new owners’ orange female cat followed me faithfully from spot to spot, keeping me company. She ended up being featured in a few of my photos.

One particularly sobering detail tied to the property is the burial of a master servant at what is now the far left end of the house, predating the attachment of the smaller Georgian structure to the Federal home. In addition to the Pippen family cemetery, there is a separate burial ground for enslaved individuals located in a nearby field to the right of the house, presently marked by a cross. Among those buried on the property is Washington Pippen, who was laid to rest here in 1889. His descendants still live nearby, underscoring the deep and continuous connection between the land and the families tied to it.