Cary in Wake County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Henry Adams House
Cary Historic District
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 1, 2023
1. Henry Adams House Marker
listed in the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
c. 1940
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Civil Rights • Education. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1940.
Location. 35° 47.017′ N, 78° 46.897′ W. Marker is in Cary, North Carolina, in Wake County. It is on South Academy Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 320 S Academy St, Cary NC 27511, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont and in the Research Triangle. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sams-Jones House (within shouting distance of this marker); 110 Dry Avenue (within shouting distance of this marker); Marcus Baxter Dry House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); 114 Dry Avenue (about 300 feet away); Pasmore House (about 400 feet away); Heater House (about 500 feet away); Alexander-Clifton House (about 500 feet away); Cary's Educational Milestones (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cary.
Another marker is no longer nearby. The Ivey-Ellington House (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).
Regarding Henry Adams House. Excerpt from the National Register nomination for the Cary Historic District:
Henry Adams House. Built and owned for many years by Henry Adams, the owner of a downtown drugstore (which became Ashworth's Drug Store in 1957), this one-and-a-half-story brick-veneered period cottage features simple Tudor Revival details (Survey and Planning files). These include a multi-gabled roof,a prominent brick chimney on the front of the house, and a rounded front entrance outlined in stone.via the Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel (Public Domain)2. Henry Reavis Adams (1899-1968)He owned and operated a drugstore, then an appliance store, in downtown Cary. As a county school board member, he spearheaded the plan to integrate Carys schools which led to integration countywide.An elementary school in Cary is named for him.
From the Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel historical society:
Henry Adams was an educator and former North Carolina Commissioner of Labor. His son Charlie, who grew up in the house, was Executive Director of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association [from 1984 to 2010].
Also see . . . Cary Historic District (PDF). National Register nomination for the district, which was listed in 2001. (Prepared by Kelly Lally Molloy, via National Archives) (Submitted on September 21, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 1, 2023
3. Henry Adams House
Credits. This page was last revised on February 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 21, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 592 times since then and 95 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 21, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
