{"nrhp_refnum":"72001529","name":"Evans House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"213 Broad St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Salem (Independent City)","county":"Salem","state":"VA","lat":37.29541644900007,"lon":-80.05971781799997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-05-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-and-a-half-story brick house at 213 Broad Street in Salem, Virginia, built in 1882 for John M. Evans in the Second Empire (French Empire) style. It has an L-shaped plan, mansard roofs and a central entrance tower.","why_significant":"The nomination presents the house as an architectural expression of the prosperity and boom growth that reached Salem and the Valley of Virginia in the 1880s and 90s. It ranks among Virginia's richest examples of the Second Empire style, which was rare in the state and relatively late for its date. It also disguises its small size with a bold outline and fine proportions, and it was featured in an 1891 publicity booklet as one of the town's most fashionable houses.","narrative":"Built in 1882 at 213 Broad Street in Salem, Virginia, this brick house was erected for John M. Evans, a farmer, dry goods merchant and land investor. Its L-shaped plan carries two intersecting mansard roofs covered in patterned tiles, a bracketed cornice, ornamented dormers and a two-story central entrance tower with walnut double doors. An ornate cast iron fence surrounds the yard. Inside, a central hall holds a black walnut staircase, marble fireplaces and decorative brass hardware with butterfly, vine and bird motifs. The house is regarded as one of Virginia's richest examples of the Second Empire style, which was uncommon in the South and already past its peak nationally. Family tradition credits Evans's French wife with the choice of style. It reflects the growth that followed the rail connection near Big Lick, and in 1891 it was chosen for a land company booklet as one of the town's most fashionable houses. Renovations in 1948 altered some interior spaces.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date 1882)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"French Empire / Second Empire","criteria":[],"status_note":"Private residence, occupied and unaltered on its original site; renovated in 1948 and maintained by its owner as a Salem landmark.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:56.958388-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/52/6835/41683552/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/72001529.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72001529/dffd7eef34-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72001529/dffd7eef34-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Carol M. Highsmith","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Second-Empire-style_Evans-Webber_House_in_Salem,_Virginia_LCCN2011632130.tif\" rel=\"noopener\">Carol M. Highsmith</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Second-Empire-style_Evans-Webber_House_in_Salem,_Virginia_LCCN2011632130.tif"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100003393","name":"North Broad Street Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/north-broad-street-historic-district-100003393/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41683552","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evans_House_(Salem,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16864793"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/salem/evans-house-72001529/"}