Above is an 18th century map of eastern North Carolina showing the "Whitehouse." The house was most likely built by Farnifold Green as an inn or "ordinary" and served as a landmark to guide early ships. Years later, it came to be known as the Hammock House.
Farnifold Green was born on May 30, 1674 in St. Stephen's Parish, Northumberland County, Virginia. Records list Farnifold Green as coming to North Carolina with the Nicholas Tyler family in July of 1697. Farnifold Green married soon after he arrived. He and his wife Hannah Kent Smithwick, widow of John Smithwick, appear frequently among the early land records of then Bath County (later Beaufort County).
Green had a plantation was on the north side of the Neuse River, but was evidently was active in various enterprising pursuits, including raising cattle on the Outer Banks near Ocracoke Inlet. What is interesting is the fact that the above 1676 map shows an area noted as "Greens Land" - some 20 years before Farnifold Green supposedly arrived in North Carolina and had a plantation in this same area. It appears that the Virginia Assembly granted land along the Roanoke and Chowan Rivers to Farnifold's grandfather, Roger Green, in July of 1653. Roger Green has been born in Norfolk, England in1620. His son Timothy, born in 1650, was Farnifold's father.
On December 20, 1707, Farnifold Green was the first to be issued a land grant from the Lords Proprietors for land that included 780 acres between the Core (Newport) and North Rivers—land that would eventually become Beaufort. Even though Green lived north of the Neuse River, he must have been aware that the barrier islands and cape, surrounding this land grant, had been providing a safe haven for ships and realized the possibilities for his land becoming not only a town, but a port.
About the same time, Peter Worden of Pamlico River was granted a patent for 640 acres on the west side of North River, which overlapped Green’s patent. In their settlement, documents referred to a point of land called “Newport Town” which gives evidence that there were a few settlers in the area. John Shackelford, who witnessed this agreement, had land on a barrier island and was perhaps involved in whaling - on what would be known later as Shackelford Banks. 
It is believed by many that Farnifold Green was the person who built the “White House” seen on early maps—the house now known as the Hammock House. After all, he owned the land, and had the resources to build such a structure—most likely as a place to stay while in the area and provide an inn for travelers.
Green also had the first land patent for Craney Island, which later became Harkers Island. He
was named to the Provincial Assembly in 1709. In 1711, he requested help in defending the colonists from the hostile Indians. He was appointed by the Assembly to oversee troops that had been assigned to put down the Tuscarora outbreak.
Obviously aware of the dangers of the times, Farnifold Green made out his will on October 26,1711. In 1713 he also sold his “Newport Town” holdings to Robert Turner for seven pounds, fifteen shillings, and left the area—returning to his 1700-acre plantation north of the Neuse River.
In 1714, Indians attacked his Green’s Creek plantation, killing 40-year old Farnifold Green, one of his sons, a white servant and two African Americans. The plantation, house, stock of cattle and hogs, were plundered and entirely destroyed by the Indians.
Green’s widow, Hannah, later married her third husband, surveyor Richard Graves, who was hired by Robert Turner to draw up the town plat of Beaufort.
The above information was gathered and compiled from various sources including Mamre Marsh Wilson's Beaufort, North Carolina, Maurice Davis' History of the Hammock House and family ancestors' documentation. Map images were obtained in Google image searches.
Green had a plantation was on the north side of the 
was named to the Provincial Assembly in 1709. In 1711, he requested help in defending the colonists from the hostile Indians. He was appointed by the Assembly to oversee troops that had been assigned to put down the Tuscarora outbreak.
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