{"nrhp_refnum":"75001251","name":"Banker's House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"319 N. Lafayette St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Shelby","county":"Cleveland County","state":"NC","lat":35.29564054300005,"lon":-81.53937904699995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-05-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-and-one-half-story stuccoed brick Second Empire house at 319 North Lafayette Street in downtown Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina, built in 1874-1875 for banker Jesse Jenkins.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it among the state's finest Second Empire houses, one of a small group distinguished by a central tower, notable for its proportions, deceptively asymmetrical plan and rich ornament. It has also been owned continuously by prominent Shelby bankers since it was built. Similarities to the Heck-Andrews House and the Cabarrus County Courthouse suggest architect G. S. H. Appleget may have designed it.","narrative":"Built in 1874-1875 at 319 North Lafayette Street in Shelby, the Banker's House is a two-and-one-half-story stuccoed brick residence in the Second Empire style. A square tower sits in the angle of its T-shaped plan, and the facade gives an impression of symmetry that the plan does not support. A slate mansard roof in floral patterns, decorated dormers, bay windows and bracketed porches carry the ornament. Inside, a long cantilevered stair rises through the hall. Outbuildings include a wellhouse, a brick service building and a frame stable. Jesse Jenkins, founder of Shelby's first bank, had the house built. Later owners included H. D. Lee and the Blanton family, who ran the successor banks, so the house has long been tied to the town's banking history. Architect G. S. H. Appleget may have designed it, based on similarities to two of his known works, though no documents survive. The house is regarded as one of the state's finest towered Second Empire houses.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date ca. 1875)","architect_builder":"Possibly G. S. H. Appleget (designer, undocumented); built for Jesse Jenkins","architectural_style":"Second Empire","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as in excellent condition and altered, on its original site, and used as a private residence; a 1910 renovation made minor changes. Outbuildings remain to the rear.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:58:58.412303-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/52/7196/47719652/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/75001251.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001251/20b1a3f666-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001251/20b1a3f666-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Upstateherd","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bankers_House_-_Shelby,_NC.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Upstateherd</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bankers_House_-_Shelby,_NC.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47719652","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banker%27s_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4856252"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/cleveland-county/bankers-house-75001251/"}