Ivey-Ellington House

The Ivey-Ellington House is a residential building showcasing Gothic Revival details such as steeply pitched roofs, board-and-batten siding, and pointed-arch windows arranged in a T-shaped plan. The composition creates a compact cottage with distinctive Victorian-era character.

Built in 1870, the house functioned as a stop for cattle drivers moving between Chatham County and Raleigh during the 1890s. This working history reflects the rural economy of Wake County in the post-Civil War era.

The building shows how Gothic Revival design reached rural areas through the choices of local builders. Walking around it, you notice how architectural fashions from the cities eventually arrived in smaller communities.

The house was moved in 2023 from Chatham Street to Academy Street in Cary to make room for new development. You can visit it at its new location and observe how the structure was carefully preserved during the relocation process.

It is one of only four properties in Cary individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This rarity highlights its special standing among the town's oldest buildings.