Tarboro has been the county seat since 1764, and many of its houses show that age. The Tarboro Historic District alone covers 330 acres and 364 contributing buildings, many of them multi-story homes with their original stairways. Out past the county seat, in Princeville, Pinetops, Conetoe and Macclesfield, the housing shifts toward detached houses, manufactured homes and newer single-story construction.
That mix matters when you are deciding on a stair lift. A steep Victorian staircase in Tarboro calls for a different lift than a short split-level run or a few porch steps on a raised rural home. This page walks through what we see in Edgecombe County homes, which lift types tend to fit, and which local and state programs are worth calling about.
The district was listed on the National Register on April 2, 1980, and its buildings date from the late 18th through the early 20th centuries. That includes the circa-1825 Dancy-Battle-Bass Clark House and a good number of Victorian-era residences from the 1870s to the 1890s.
Stairs in houses this old are often narrow, steep, or turn at a landing. A straight rail works only when the run goes top to bottom with no turn. A turn or a winding section usually means a curved lift built to the measurements of that particular staircase.
Homes in the historic district may also need to follow preservation guidelines. A stair lift mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall, but it is still smart to check with the town before work starts so nothing about the installation causes trouble later.
Across the county you will also find single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. A split-level often has two short flights instead of one long one, so the question becomes which flight the person uses every day. Sometimes one straight lift on the main flight solves most of the problem.
Townhouses tend to have a single straight staircase, which is the simplest and quickest kind of install. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared, so the building owner has to agree before anything is mounted.
Edgecombe County sits in the Coastal Plain, with 505.34 square miles of mostly flat ground and the Tar River running through it. Flat land does not always mean easy entry. Hurricane Floyd in 1999 brought Tar River flooding that devastated communities here, and homes in low-lying spots are often built up off the ground.
For a raised home or a manufactured home, the hard part may be the steps from the yard to the front door, not an inside staircase. An outdoor stair lift can run along exterior steps, and a platform lift can carry a wheelchair user up to porch level. In low-lying areas, it is worth planning ground-floor changes with flooding in mind.
Many families here are working out how a parent can keep living in the house they already own.
Veterans can start with Edgecombe County Veterans Services at 201 St. Andrew Street, Room 265, in Tarboro, at (252) 641-6286. Staff there can help sort out which VA benefits apply before you spend your own money.
None of the programs below name stair lifts outright, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Several do cover home accessibility work, mobility improvements or home repairs, so it is worth asking each office whether a stair lift could fit under that heading for your situation.
For people 60 and older, a good first call is the Edgecombe County Office on Aging at (252) 641-5831 or the Region L - Upper Coastal Plains Council of Governments AAA at (252) 234-5955, 121 W. Main St. in Williamston. Medicaid-eligible adults who need a nursing-facility level of care can ask about CAP/DA. Rural homeowners with very low incomes can look at USDA Section 504.
North Carolina also offers the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1), which does not pay for equipment but may be worth asking about when you budget for staying in the home.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who meet a nursing-facility level of care and want to stay in their own home; it lists home accessibility and adaptation and specialized medical equipment, but stair lifts are not named. Call (888) 245-0179.
One-time transition help for Medicaid-eligible people moving out of a nursing facility or inpatient setting into a home, including accessibility modifications, though stair lifts are not named. Call (888) 245-0179.
The Area Agency on Aging for Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton and Wilson counties, which administers Home and Community Care Block Grant and Older Americans Act funding; stair lifts are not named as a benefit. Call (252) 234-5900.
A referral and coordination office for county seniors that offers advocacy, transportation, a Vial of Life program and a used wheelchairs and canes program; stair lifts are not listed. Call (252) 641-5831.
Adult Services works with county residents, including disabled adults trying to remain at home; stair lifts are not listed. Call (252) 641-7668.
For people 60 or older with no one able and willing to do the work, this covers mobility and accessibility improvements and minor home repairs up to $7,000 per person per program year, though stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 662-7030.
A services program for North Carolinians with a permanent physical disability that lists home modifications such as ramps, accessible bathrooms and wider doors; stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 662-7030.
Very-low-income rural homeowners can get loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan can get grants up to $10,000 for repairs or removing health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not named. Call (919) 873-2000.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically needed home alterations, but it specifically does not cover stair glides or porch lifts. Edgecombe County Veterans Services at (252) 641-6286 can help with VA benefits.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, with examples like ramps and wider doorways; stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
121 W. Main St., Williamston, 27892
Veterans
201 St. Andrew Street, Room 265, Tarboro, 27886
Often, yes, but older stairways in the district are frequently steep or turn at a landing, which usually means a curved lift. Historic-district homes may also need to follow preservation guidelines, so check with the town before installation.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or Edgecombe County Veterans Services at (252) 641-6286.
The NC DHHS Housing and Home Improvement Assistance program serves people 60 and older and covers mobility and accessibility improvements up to $7,000 per person per program year. Local delivery runs through the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging and the Edgecombe County Office on Aging at (252) 641-5831.
If the trouble is the steps up to the door, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift for wheelchair users is usually the answer. After the Hurricane Floyd flooding in 1999, many low-lying homes here sit off the ground, so entry steps are a common problem.
Rural Edgecombe County generally qualifies as USDA Rural Development territory, but eligibility is checked address by address. Call (919) 873-2000 to confirm your address and ask about Section 504 loans and grants.
For an older parent, start with the Edgecombe County Office on Aging at (252) 641-5831. If Medicaid is involved, call NC Medicaid at (888) 245-0179 about CAP/DA.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
