{"nrhp_refnum":"01000254","name":"Vardell Family Cottages Historic District","other_names":["Opicherhoka, Hemlock Cottage, The Shoe"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"222 Grandfather Ave, 137, 187, 209 Chestnut Circle","address_restricted":false,"city":"Blowing Rock","county":"Watauga County","state":"NC","lat":36.12670628600006,"lon":-81.67804330699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2001-03-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A district of four family summer cottages and wooded grounds on a knoll southeast of downtown Blowing Rock, Watauga County, North Carolina. Three cottages are historic: Opicherhoka (1899-1900), Hemlock Cottage (ca. 1903) and The Shoe (1933).","why_significant":"The nomination presents the cottages as an intact family summer estate built for Charles Graves and Linda Rumple Vardell. Opicherhoka is described as one of Blowing Rock's most important early cottages, retaining its original paint scheme, rustic interior woodwork and furnishings. The estate shows several generations of seasonal family use.","narrative":"Four related summer residences and their wooded grounds occupy a knoll southeast of the center of Blowing Rock. The centerpiece, Opicherhoka, was built in 1899-1900 by local carpenters Roe Hartley and Joseph N. White for Charles Graves and Linda Rumple Vardell. It is a two-story weatherboarded Arts and Crafts house with multiple gables, dormers and an L-shaped porch on stone piers. Its name was formed from the first letters of woods used in construction. Inside, chestnut and other wood paneling, beaded ceilings and many original furnishings survive, and the dark green and red paint scheme has been maintained. Hemlock Cottage was built around 1903 for Dr. Jethro Rumple, and The Shoe was added in 1933 as the family grew. A fourth cottage, built in 1987, falls outside the historic period. The grounds include a rhododendron-enclosed lawn, stone retaining walls and footpaths linking the cottages. The estate was divided among the Vardell children in 1951.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Opicherhoka built by local carpenters Roe Hartley and Joseph N. White for Charles Graves and Linda Rumple Vardell","architectural_style":"Arts and Crafts / Craftsman","criteria":[],"status_note":"Privately owned; historic and current functions are single dwelling and summer estate grounds. Opicherhoka has not been winterized for year-round use.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:57:53.231193-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/84/7227/47722784/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/01000254.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47722784","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vardell_Family_Cottages_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q24436313"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/watauga-county/vardell-family-cottages-historic-district-01000254/"}