National Park Service
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations of eligibility for individual properties or districts. Soo instructions in Guidelines for Completing National Register Forms (National Register Bulletin 16). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the requested information. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, styi95, materials, and areas of significance, enter only the categories and subcategories listed in the instructions. For additional space use continuation sheets (Form 1Q..900a). Type all entries.
statel\~ 0 r t}1 ,=: 8_1:' 0 1 ina code county ~aywood code zip code ?S 7S 6
[2] private [TI building(s) Contributing Noncontributing o public-local o district ___ buildings o public-State , Dsite ___ sites o public-Federal D structure ___ structures Dobject ___ objects o Total Name of related multiQJe property listing: Number of contributing resources yrevlously 1~! _r1. - listed in the National Register __l._! __ _
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this [XJ nomination D request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth In 36 CFR Part 60. In my opjniO?( ,e pro~ Jets 0 does not meet the National Register criteria. 0 See continua~2sh~t_ fI I "V\ i, ' ~(' ~7~8; __ Date State Historic Preserva ion Officer State or Federal agency and bureau
In my opinion, the property D meets D does not meet the National Register criteria. D Soo continuation shoot.
Signature of commenting or other official Date
State or Federal agency and bureau
property is: D entered in the National Register. D Soo continuation sheet. o determined eligible for thlJ National Register. D See continuation sheet. D determined not eligible for the I
National Register. I o removed from the National Register. Dother, (explain:) ______
Signature of the Kooper Date of Action (enter categories from instructions)
foundation _____~O"""':"'..:..:..J..:"-- ______
walls ______~...... :~ ______
roof ______
other ______~~.:....m...~~ ______
.-11 ....." .. " nn\'/O;:lr~1 appearance. :he ~a30nic 2211 of 1aynesville, Ne, constructed in 1927, is a massi78 ~rick, three-story commerci&l building situated in downtown Waynesville. A projection room on the third story gives the appearance of a fourth story. Its location on Jhurch street is on the edge of the developed commercial district and is directly behind the municipal building, built in 1916 as a United states Post Office. J:he building's height allows it to rise above the surrounding one-story strip development and it is easily visible from most sections of downtown Waynesville. The building has parking lots on two sides, isolating it from the commercial fabric of the street. The front facc.:..de of the Masonic Building appears solid, solemn and stat-ely, reflecting a national tradition in the design of Masonic and other public buildings between 1900 and 1930. other elevations of the building show utilitarian brick building with steel framing having rBgularly sp&ced windows along the first, second and third stories, with some irregularity in the third story .. With the exception of the first story, the side elevations have original wooden sash windows. The first story windows are replacements. The first story facade presented to Church street is Neo-Classical, of concrete simulating ashlar block and having three bays, wit!1 the entrance recessed behind fluted Doric columns supporting a classic Doric entablature. Four plain Ionic columns, each paired with a similar pilaster, support a cornice at the top of the first story, a cornice wtiich projects forward for the depth of each capital. The bays on e&ch side of the entrance bay contain woocfen one casement window having two large lights and two smalJ. The present aluminum and glass double leaf front door replaces the original wooden doublE leaf door and is set under a semicircular fanlight set in a frame of marble.
[i] See continuation sheet n National Park Service
Section number ___ Pags ___
~bove tIle concrete facade of the first story, four fluted pilasters of
concrete with Corinthian capitals extend upward to a pl~in frieze an~ cornice. Above the Corinthian capitals is a frieze and molded cornics. __
f 3. rap e t l'l i s e s fro!!J t: 1 e cor n ice t 0 a p 12" i n roo f 1 i n e. ~' t 2 en t ire f r ~ n t fa C ·::c the building; the darker brick extends so~e ten feet on each side of the ['1]i Iding. Iwo strong horizontal bands of concrete with re6essed panels divide t~e UpPE floors on tbe front facade. 'Iiindows are the '.origina).. ; wooden- casements. ='11e ~e.. in entrCince door opens into a bros-d but plain llall V/hich origin2.. ll:; ran t~e length of the building. On each side of the hall are frosted-glass fro n t 0 f fie e 3. The rear 0 f t 11 i s floor }} 0 .. s bee n r e - par tit ion e din t 0 c. sin g 1 e professionCiI office. To the left of tbe main entrance to the building are theoriginal elevator and a single flight of stairs, leading to the second floor which formerly housed offices and the Masonic baLquet hall. ~}lis floor has ceilings twelve feet high and glass office fronts. 1he tanq~et hall was ~artitioned into offices after it~ use as the 3aywood County cou~t room in 1930. The third floor contains a large Masonic meeting room ~ith a stage st the west end and a dias along the side walls. TIle east end of the room contains three archeswhich lead to foyer and cloak rooms. Ornate plaster molding surrounds the stage opening snd the arches, and the tray ceiling is centered with a plaster medallion. Window and door surrounds are of wood. ~bis room is unaltered and from its windows are visible the bowl of mountains which surround tl1e ':iaynesville valley. -1-' rIle only alterations to the building since its construction include Ld18 re- placement of windows on the sides of the first floor with insulated panes, 2..nd the repl2..cement of the double leaf wooden front door wi til a gl2,ss couble· leaf door .J:hes~ changes were made during t~[}e 1973 reno'-,ration by tl~le present owner. APt)IIC4:LOle National Register Criteria A 8 c o Criteria Considerations (Exceptions) A 08 Dc o E Areas categories from instruc;:tions) Significant Dates 1 ? Cultural Affiliation Significant Person Architect/Builder -;;:::;~ r' ',: ~T r'~. '11...!.-.L " h" ...... t _ ~ e L-' 0, ',',. a., 'J nO. r 0 LJ v e, c::t r elL:; e G v :E'hillips, '[Ii. C., ','·:aynesville, builder State significance of property, and justify criteria, criteria considerations, and areas and periods of significance noted above. Under Criteria A and C , the Waynesville Masonic Hall, designed by Charlotte architect W.E. Peeps and built in 1927, is eligible for the National Register. Euilt during tbe commercial boom in western North Carolina during the 1920s, it was and still is the tallest commercial building in the county seat of jaynesville. It is the most visible landmark associated with the local Ma~onic chapter, which has been one of the most prominent civic organiza tions in Haywood County since the mid-nineteenth century. This bandsome three-story brick and concrete Neo-Classical Revival building has local architectural significance as the only example of the style in Waynesville, and as a symbol of the architectural pretensions of the 1920s, which have never been equaled since that era. The period of significance ends when the Masons lost the building thiough bankruptcy in 1930. **************************************************************************** ommercial context: Waynesville in 1927 was the thriving seat of a thriving county. There were twenty-five commercial establishments in Haywood County, employing 2,006 wage earners, not including salaried employees. Bus~nesses in the county included flour and meal mills, lumber operations, factories for wood pulp, for furniture and for electric power, a tannery and mines. Agri cultlJre continued to be one of the leading endeavors. Air-drying of tobacco had been introduced into the area in 1925 and the Champion Fiber plant flourished in nearby Canton. The Carolina Power and Light plant on the Pigeon River provided abundant power for the region. The population of Haywood County had jumped from 225 residents in 19~~ to 9,157 in 1930, and in 1930 'Commercial production was valued at ,$3,394,833. 1n1924 anew c!:d~WcoRlf?t~~7ibrf~etwasopened I number __?_J_ . . '"'" . 2' and there was continuing dem~rid f6r a new andl~rier courity 'courthouse 1h~ Asheville Times report~d that "Real Estate is Active l'~ow 'in 'ilaynesvil12", and indicated that medical offices, auto service stations, 'business offices as well as residences and a country club were under co~struction in the ':z: t O~;Jn • ./ • ~lhen ~he cornerstone for Waynesville's Masonic Eall was laid on ~pril 5, 1927 it marked a high point in the commercial development of Haywood County during the Rre-Depression "boom" J2e:riod of western North Carolina. Detween 1890 and 1930 western Horth Carolina wi tnessed tremendous' gro~~Jtl1 because o-f its natural beauty, extensive natural resources and its ple~sant climate, dee~ed good for health and recreation. The rapid development of Asheville and ~uncombe County was reflected in nearby counties and by 1927 Haywood County, adjacent to Bilncombe to the west,was r~ady to ma~e an architectural contribu tion to the burgeoning commercial development in the region. Architectural context: The ~aynesville Masonic Hall is locally significant ~ as representative of a number of three-story, architecturally distinguislled mason~y Masonic temples built in North Carolina's downtowns during the early twentieth century. This group 'is' highly e~'1dangered, and one of tile" finest, ~he Egyptian Revival style Masonic lemple in downtown Charlotte, was recently demolished. Other examples of the group are ~asonic tefuples in Winston-3alem, Shelby and ,R~cky Mount. So6i~1 histcontext: Waynesville's most elaborate commercial building was built by a charitable fraternity wit~ roots to the Middle Ages. 4preemasonry was introduced into North Carolina before 1735 and gradually numbered among its members the outstanding male citizens of the state. 5 The organization was active in Haywood Co~nty ~efore the Civil War. Waynesville Lodge No. 259 was c~artered in 1866 and by 1368 had appoin~ed a committee "to investigate 6 the propriety of"' building an Academy. 11 :.'t'aynesville Academy, tbe first scbool in 1aynesville after the Civil ~ar, was opened in 1869 bytbe~asons in a building 'constructed by them on a site between the First ~ethodis~ " Church and the present Landmark Apartments. The building contained school • '7 rooms 01). the first floor and lodge rooms on the second. I D. illhen the Graded Schools were organized in 1899, the first chairman of ti1e board was John ';/1/. Hoone, an active Mason. ~ost of tIle leading male citizens of the county were active in Masonic affairs tetwe~n 1566 and 1930, including Judge J.C.L. Gudger, a grandson of Colonel Rebert Love, founder of waynesville 9 Dr. Samuel Love, }ev. Daniel Buryman Nelson, R.G.A. l6ve, Mattbew H~ Love, Dr. J.?~ Abe: Tl -r- J -~ -f ' ~ 11 . --'", h 8. J ames i:'erguson, Dr. ..:."1.. \,ay ana neve 'rt.l . lam n. • .t\.lC_" ';'.[aynesville i'Iasons continued their interest in the development of their ci~ty and county after t'he turn of 'trle century, and on October 23, 1913, Waynes vill~ Lodge # 259 purchased from C.3.and Minnie Ray of iaynesville a lot con taining about one-fiftrl of an acre on Church S=tre'et in downtown 'h!aynesville. The Masons paid $2,590 for this lot, which was part of a parcel running north from ~ain street along the west side of Church Street. 9 . =he adjoining lot on the corner of Main and Church streets had been sold by Ray to the United states government and in 1916 a post office building was erected on that corner. However, it was not until 1927 that the ~asonic 5all, designed by -\'v. E. Peeps of Charlotte, archi tect a.nd. one of l\Tortl1 Carolina's leading Masons, ~as erected by the Waynesville Lodge. The Asheville Times said that -C' • 1"'r,r'/ . t 11' e b'ld' u l l n g cos ..L,J'100U:;;" , U""~o u; 10. :n l'..L n u u e s 0 :t,... t'n e I ,0 d g e 1.. 0 r _~ u gus t 29r, 'j c:.. I g l \T e 1 1 the final cost as $80,156.63. William H. Peeps (1368-1950) is best known for his design of the Latta Arcade in Cbarlotte and for the Myers Park Club House and the J.B. Ivey Department store in tbat city.12. He held a number of important posts for the Masons of North Carolina, ultimately be coming the Most Illustrious Grand Master of the Grand Council of North -1 7 C8.rolina. ~. The b~ilding Peeps designed fo~ the Masons o~ ~aynesville was, and is today, the large~t commercial building in the town. The building was designed to provide much-needed office and meeting. space during the °boorn" period, housini offices on th0 first floor and I·!asonic ~neeting and social rooms on the second and third floots. ~n elevator was installed and tbe third floor was eq0ip~~d with a projection booth. Interior and exterior details were appropriately NPS Form 1O;~ O4IB ApprovlIJ No. 102+-0018 (&-36) Section number _"'"---_ Page ---..:::.3__ elegant. The new building wss put to immediate use by the county court s y s t e ill, an d co u r twas he 1 din the ban que t room 0 n t 11 e sec on d floor l),n til -j' the completion of the new Haywood County court~ouse in 1932. ~. The building became a II profes 3i onsl" Cui lcling hous ing pllysici2.ns and denti s ts in- the 19303. But ~aynesville was not immune from the ravages of the Depression in western North Carolina, nor were the Masons. They were forced to default and the property was sold at the courthouse door to the Imperial Life Insurance Company on August 8, 1930, for 852,000. 15 . The building sub sequently passed through the hands of the ~oseline Corporation, W.~I.F. ~illar, C.H. Leatherwood, J.~. Ray and Robert C. Lechner. It is at present owne d 'Gy D'r. ana' l"rs.~I JODn~, \1./.- T'no tt oms 0 f -"yayneslll- . l'.Le. 16. After default by Waynesville Lodge # 259, the Masonic 3all became a communit3 center of sorts, acting as dance hall, movie theater, radio station, wrest ling arena, concert hall and government office building. It was the site of the first county community theater which opened dn 1972.17. Today it is the tallest structure in downtown Waynesville, mEjestically looking over the commercial district toward tlle surrounding mountains. NPSF()(JlIl()'~ 0418 ApcrovrU No 102+-0018 (&-M) National Park Service Section number ---,,-3__ Page _4__ FOOTITOJ::ES 1 to::J " r fT1' , ~-'...L f -- d C...L , l' , '.L" • .... .!.\..eeles, :\'. i.i10ITl'?,s, li l.llSvory 0 ~1aJrwoo- ounGy, unpuo lSfleG G..:.~eS1S lor the M.A., Dept. of ciistory, ~uke University, 1937, unp~~ed. r] c • 1'1 e d for d, ",v. C 1 ark ,1:~.o e ~"= i d dIe I-: i s to, ~\ IiI ~ -2 r :? r i 11 tin g Company, A , , l l ~ . . , - . 11 ,-,-, - 1 c r] 3..,_Li.311eVl . __ eJ... L:)es, ...:iSlleVl e, l':G , January c), 'jc.7 4·3ncyclopedia Britannica, l1?reelTI2,Sonryll, j\1icropcLedia, lolume l:~,~, 15t~1 edition, page 302. J "Haywood, ~IIarsl1all JJeLancey, 'line :Eeginnings of l?reemasonry in =Tortb arolina and Tennessee, -page 2. c:. OeMartin, Edwin Paul, 3istory of Walnesville Lodge No. 259, ~.T. & A.~., unpublisbed manuscrlpu, iaynesvi~ e, page J. 7· Ibid . 3·Allen, W.C. Centennial of Haywood County and Its Count~ Seat, Jaynesville~ North Caro~lna, pp. 1c~-- J(. 9 "Haywood County Register of Deeds, ',ilaynesville, Book 40, page 122. 10·Asheville Citizen, Asheville, NC, Tuesday, April 5, 1927. 11 .~daynes7ille Lodge # 259, minutes of August 29, 1927 12. Sumner, Jil), HC Department of Cultural Resources, corresponience, October 29, 1987. 13Wa~nesville Lodge $ 259, correspondence, October 28, 1987. 14oMedford, OPe cit., page 83. 15eHaywood County Register of Deeds, Waynesville, Book 83, page 179. 16"Haywood County Register of Deeds, Waynesville, Book 187, page 204; Book 125, page 392. 11eBottoms, -Dr. John, Waynesville, interview, September 15, 1957. GJ See continuation sheet Previous documentation on file (NPS): D preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) Primary location of additional data: has been requested EJ State historic preservation office D previously listed in the National Register D Other State agency D previously determined eligible by the National Register D Federal agency D designated a National Historic Landmark D Local government D recorded by Historic American Buildings D University SuNey# ______DOther D recorded by Historic American Engineeririg Specify repository:' Record #______ UTM References AlL..zJ 1311,9/S,8,OJ 13,912,8(9,6,0/ B LLJ I 1 I 1 I , 1 , Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing C LLJ II I I I I I I I I I I I I I o LLJ I I I I I , I I D See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description The nominated property is outlined in red on the enclosed 5aywood County ~ax ~ap, lot # 9915, and constitutes the entire parcel formerly belonging to Waynesville Lodge # 259. It is appr9ximately 60 I by 1~7' in size. D See continuation sheet. Boundary Justification The nominated property constitutes the entire lot historically associated with the' Masonic Hall. I D See continuation sheet 11. Form Prepared By nameltitle varo.lyn :.{. ~lUJllpl1rleS organization .__ 1..".-;..,..,...i...,...' .-1)_' l-..--_V_l...,..S_l_o_n __ o_.L __ Ll~_ r..,....·_c_l1_l_v,-e __ s_Lt._:' ___ l_s_v_o_r---:...y_ date __.....:lJ=--" _8_c....::e_Jl_o--=..e.::.r_... _i L' _1...::;9-=s_r:.-.7 ___ ~Ua ~ast Jones ~tree~ street & number ___..... /_____,.---.------telephone _ ,,,..,.,,, ______~=::;_:?"_;_:;- ? 77 -' .,. city or town ~\.a.l e l gIl state l\j\.; zip code - 0" Section number __9__ Page __1__ BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, W.C., Centennial of H~ ood Count Caro~ina, Courier Prin ing Company, Asheville Citizen, Asheville, NC, April 5, 1927. Asheville Times, Asheville, NC, January 23, 1927. Bottoms, Dr. John, Waynesville, NC, interview, September 15, 19B7. Encyclopaedia Britannica, I',licropaedia, 'volumn IV, 15th edition, 3ncyclopedia nrltannlca, Inc., Chicago, 1974. Haywood County'Register of Deeds y WayneSVille, NC. Haywood, lVlarshall DeLancey, 'rhe Beginnings of Freemasonry in North Carolina and Tennessee, Weaver and Lynch, Printers, RaleigL t 1906. Martin, Edwin Paul, History of Waynesville Lodge No. 259,A.F.& A.M., un published manuscrlpt, Waynesville, 1956. lvIedford, 'tie Clark, The Middle Historl of Haywood County, Miller ?rinting . Company, Asheville,, 19 8. Reeves, W. Thomas, A History of Haywood County, unpublished thesis for M.A., Dept. of nistory, Duke UniverSity, 1937. Sumner, Jim, Department of Cultural Resources, Raleigh, correspondence, October 29, 1987 • .. vaynesville Lodge # 259, minutes, Au.gust 29, 1927 .. '0 «-<';..J>,s,s °oe:-U'«' /.> UNr V'u'~ TENNESSEE ASHEVILLE 30 MI MAPPING t...~_ /, I? -'" I 3 9S