{"nrhp_refnum":"80002874","name":"McElwee Houses","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"122, 126, 134 and 140 Water St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Statesville","county":"Iredell County","state":"NC","lat":35.78650494100003,"lon":-80.88737199399998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-11-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A group of four early twentieth century Neo-Classical Revival/Colonial Revival houses at 122, 126, 134 and 140 Water Street in Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina, next to the commercial district. Two were built about 1905 and 1906, and two were older houses moved and remodelled between 1918 and 1925.","why_significant":"The houses are the remains of a family compound of the McElwee family, prominent Statesville tobacco and other industrialists. They reflect the wealth from the town's industrial and commercial growth. Two of them, 122 and 126 Water Street, are among the best examples of Neo-Classical Revival domestic architecture in Statesville.","narrative":"Four classically styled houses stand side by side at 122, 126, 134 and 140 Water Street in Statesville, beside the town's commercial district. They are what remains of a compound that John H. McElwee, a tobacco manufacturer, hoped would keep his children near him. His son William Henry McElwee built 122 Water Street around 1905, and his daughter Addie McElwee Thomas drew the plans for 126, built in 1906. Both have large columned porticos and Palladian-style dormer windows. Two older houses, 134 and 140, were moved slightly and remodelled between 1918 and 1925 by family members to match the classical look of their neighbors. Number 140 shows some Bungaloid influence and now houses law offices. McElwee's own mansard-style house was demolished for a parking lot. The row is regarded as a reflection of Statesville's early twentieth century industrial prosperity and includes two of the city's finest Neo-Classical Revival homes.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Addie McElwee Thomas (plans for 126 Water Street)","architectural_style":"Neo-Classical Revival/Colonial Revival, with Bungaloid influence at 140 Water Street","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition and unaltered; the houses are well preserved by McElwee descendants. 140 Water Street is used as law offices, and the others are occupied.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:58:55.995027-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/61/7180/47718061/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/80002874.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80002874/cc248b8858-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80002874/cc248b8858-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"JERRYE &amp; ROY KLOTZ, M.D.","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:McELWEE_HOUSES,_STATESVILLE,_IREDELL_COUNTY,_NC.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">JERRYE &amp;amp; ROY KLOTZ, M.D.</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:McELWEE_HOUSES,_STATESVILLE,_IREDELL_COUNTY,_NC.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47718061","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McElwee_Houses","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19987037"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/iredell-county/mcelwee-houses-80002874/"}