Samuel Warren Branch House ("Branch Grove"), Enfield, NC (c. 1820-1830)
Branch Grove, North Carolina, is one of perhaps several dozen remaining examples of what architectural historians refer to as "Piedmont Palladian" houses, tripartite pedimented dwellings inspired by mid-18th century pattern books and built for the most part in Virginia and North Carolina.
Loosely defined, the tripartite pedimented house is a three-part composition: a pedimented, two-story center pavilion, flanked by matching one-story wings. Its most famous example in Virginia is the Semple House in Williamsburg, often (if inconclusively) attributed to Thomas Jefferson.
These small homes are remarkable for their subtle monumentality and sophistication and speak eloquently of the nobility and dignity inherent in a well-scaled home of any size.
