{"nrhp_refnum":"08000368","name":"Harbison, Thomas Grant, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2930 Walhalla Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Highlands","county":"Macon County","state":"NC","lat":35.02890837100006,"lon":-83.19308027699998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-04-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Education","Science"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, gable-front frame dwelling with attic at 2930 Walhalla Road, south of Highlands, Macon County, North Carolina, built in 1921 by contractor William Monroe Cleaveland for botanist Thomas Grant Harbison, on a wooded 3.29-acre tract.","why_significant":"The nomination ties the house to Thomas Grant Harbison, a plant collector and botanist who worked at Highlands and for the Arnold Arboretum, and who helped secure the Ashe Herbarium for the University of North Carolina. The house and its woodland grounds, with Torreya taxifolia trees he planted, reflect his botanical career. The house is also a well-preserved Craftsman and Colonial Revival dwelling that stayed largely unaltered until 2000.","narrative":"Set on a wooded rise on the south slope of Satulah Mountain, about three miles south of Highlands, this two-story shingled house was completed in 1921 for botanist Thomas Grant Harbison. Highlands contractor William Monroe Cleaveland built it, combining Craftsman and Colonial Revival features, including a symmetrical plan, deep eaves and a two-tier south porch overlooking the meeting point of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Harbison's family lived here until about 1985, making almost no changes, so original maple floors, chestnut trim and a built-in bookcase survived. The grounds keep a natural woodland character, including six Torreya taxifolia trees Harbison planted, a rare endangered species in western North Carolina. The property matters for its link to Harbison's career as a collector for the Arnold Arboretum and his role in bringing the Ashe Herbarium to the University of North Carolina. A careful restoration in 2000-01 preserved its form and character.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"William Monroe Cleaveland (builder)","architectural_style":"Bungalow/Craftsman","criteria":[],"status_note":"Restored and rehabilitated in 2000-01 and used as a seasonal residence; it stood unoccupied but weathertight from about 1985 to 2000.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:57:53.817506-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/26/7211/47721126/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/08000368.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08000368/8f05145784-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08000368/8f05145784-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Jawjapaul","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Grant_Harbison_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jawjapaul</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Grant_Harbison_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47721126","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Grant_Harbison_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18151351"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/macon-county/harbison-thomas-grant-house-08000368/"}