{"nrhp_refnum":"87001925","name":"Avery Avenue School","other_names":["Catawba Valley Legal Services"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"200 Avery Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Morganton","county":"Burke County","state":"NC","lat":35.747980245000065,"lon":-81.68708299799994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-11-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, crescent-shaped brick school building at 200 Avery Avenue, on the corner of Avery Avenue and Bouchelle Street in Morganton, Burke County, North Carolina, built in 1923 and believed to have been designed by Charles Christian Hook.","why_significant":"It was Morganton's first separate high school building, reflecting a progressive decision to serve secondary students apart from the graded school. It is the oldest surviving educational building in the city. Its unusual polygonal center section and eclectic ornamentation also make it architecturally distinctive, and it is believed to be the work of a prominent Charlotte architect.","narrative":"Built in 1923 at the corner of Avery Avenue and Bouchelle Street, this two-story brick school was the first separate high school building in Morganton. It is believed to have been designed by Charles Christian Hook, a prominent Charlotte architect. The crescent-shaped building has a polygonal center section with a pyramidal mission-tile roof and a small belfry, flanked by flat-roofed wings. Ornament includes acanthus-leaf cornice detailing, zigzag mosaic friezes, multicolored mosaic panels, terra cotta heraldic symbols and corner urns. School officials chose to build a new high school rather than enlarge the 1906 graded school, recognizing that older students had different needs. Rapid population growth filled the building within a few years, and a larger high school opened in 1926. Avery Avenue School then housed elementary classes until 1957, followed by county offices and, from 1982, a legal services office. Although the interior and windows were altered, the exterior still conveys its distinctive design, and it is the oldest surviving educational building in the city.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1923 - 1926","architect_builder":"believed to be Charles Christian Hook","architectural_style":"Highly eclectic; the form says it defies placement in a stylistic category","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Used as a school until 1957, then converted to county offices; renovated in 1982 for a legal services office, which occupies it. The second floor was being renovated for additional office space. Interior completely remodeled and modern tinted windows installed.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:57:49.986888-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/54/7173/47717354/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/87001925.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001925/6bbc557b04-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001925/6bbc557b04-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"PLHicks","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Avery-Ave-School.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">PLHicks</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:Avery-Ave-School.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47717354","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Avenue_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17985689"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/burke-county/avery-avenue-school-87001925/"}