By Dathan Kazsuk
Every now and then, I stumble across a property listing that doesn’t feel like a property listing at all. It feels more like a North Carolina history lesson.
This time, that history comes with a price tag of $3,749,500. Recently listed by Compass Carolinas, the nearly 257-year-old waterfront residence is once again on the market, offering a rare opportunity to own one of Beaufort’s most storied homes—complete with three bedrooms, three full baths, two half baths, a deeded boat slip, and one of the richest histories on the North Carolina coast.
That brings us to 125 Front Street in Beaufort, better known as the Warner House, which is incorporated into the famed Davis Boarding House along the Beaufort waterfront. And yes, I know how much we Triangle folks love a good coastal escape. Give us a long weekend, a cooler, and the promise of salt air, and half of Raleigh is suddenly “checking out for a few days.”
I get it. I really do.
That said, I’m usually more of a Western North Carolina, head-to-the-mountains, wander-through-small-towns, maybe-go-looking-for-Bigfoot kind of guy. But when you stumble upon a place like this—one with waterfront views, pre-Revolutionary history, architectural preservation, and a story that stretches across generations—it’s one worth sharing.
The Warner House dates back to 1769. That makes the original home older than the American Revolution, older than the United States itself, and very much part of the fabric of one of North Carolina’s oldest coastal communities.
Originally a fishing village and port of safety dating back to the late 1600s, Beaufort grew into a working waterfront community shaped by sailors, merchants, fishermen, craftsmen, and families who built their lives around the water. Today, its historic district remains one of North Carolina’s most treasured waterfront districts.
While the home’s story begins before the nation did, one of its most interesting chapters came more than a century later, when Sarah Davis purchased the Warner House and adjoining properties in 1882. Known as “Miss” Sarah Davis, she was an unmarried woman running her own business at a time when that alone made her stand out.
She combined the properties to create the Davis Boarding House, a popular hotel that operated from 1882 until World War II. In a coastal town built on fishing, trade, travel, and hospitality, Davis created a gathering place that welcomed visitors for decades.
Like many historic properties, the Davis Boarding House also had a close call. In the 1970s, it was reportedly saved from demolition connected to Duke Marine Lab plans, with preservationist Tony P. Wrenn helping bring attention to its importance. That effort helped keep a major piece of Beaufort’s waterfront history intact.
In the 2000s, the property was converted into four condominium units, though it is still known as the Davis Boarding House. Today, 125 Front Street has been renovated and is owned by Gordon and Beverly Smith.
Smith brings another meaningful Triangle connection to the home’s story. He is the grandson of Clarence Hamilton Poe, the influential publisher and editor of The Progressive Farmer, whose publishing legacy helped shape Southern journalism and later became part of the foundation from which Southern Living was launched.
His legacy has extended into business, education, and philanthropy, including his role as a founder of Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. So while this home sits on the Beaufort waterfront, its story also reaches back toward the Triangle in a pretty interesting way.
Inside, the residence blends historic character with modern coastal living. The home is approximately 2,500 square feet, with three bedrooms, three full baths, two half baths, and a deeded boat slip—because if you’re going to live on Front Street in Beaufort, the water should probably be part of the deal. Interior design was led by Christina Baker of Beaufort Linen Co., with photography by Brad Bunyea.
The property was also featured in the 2023 Beaufort Old Homes Tour, a fitting nod for a residence that has carried so many lives, stories, and eras within its walls.
For many Triangle residents, Beaufort is one of those coastal towns that feels close enough for a weekend but far enough to feel like a true escape. It has the history, the walkability, the food, the water, and that slightly slower pace we all pretend we’re going to adopt permanently after three days by the coast.
The Warner House at 125 Front Street captures so much of what makes Beaufort special. It is not just old for the sake of being old. It is layered. It tells a story of pre-Revolutionary North Carolina, women in business, coastal hospitality, preservation, family legacy, and the ongoing effort to keep historic places alive while still letting them be lived in.
And whether you are a beach person, a boat person, a history person, or even someone like me who is usually more likely to be roaming the mountains in search of a good story and a Sasquatch sighting, this is the kind of North Carolina place worth stopping to appreciate.
Love stories like this? Discover more homes, gardens, renovations, and design inspiration in Midtown’s Home & Garden section.
