{"nrhp_refnum":"90001146","name":"Lenoir High School","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"100 Willow St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lenoir","county":"Caldwell County","state":"NC","lat":35.91155149800005,"lon":-81.54331303999999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1990-08-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture","Performing Arts"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A former public high school district in Lenoir, Caldwell County, North Carolina, occupying a block of about 6.5 acres on Willow Street between Harper Avenue and College Avenue. Its main two-story brick Classical Revival building was erected in 1922, with a band building and later additions around it.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the school is significant architecturally as a fine example of early twentieth-century school modernization in North Carolina, and in education history. It also argues the school played a significant role in the history of high school music, through its nationally recognized band, formed in 1924, and the acoustically designed band building completed in 1937.","narrative":"Built in 1922 on a large block in Lenoir, North Carolina, the former high school is a two-story brick building with cast stone trim, designed by Benton & Benton of Wilson and Richmond and constructed by the Joe W. Stout Construction Co. It opened for classes in January 1923. The school is regarded as a fine example of institutional Classical Revival design and of the school modernization that spread through North Carolina in the early twentieth century. Its significance also rests on music: the Lenoir High School Band, formed in 1924 under Captain James C. Harper, became nationally known and ranked in top state competitions for decades. The band building of 1935 to 1937 was designed with acoustics in mind and includes a semicircular rehearsal hall with tiered platforms. The school was used until 1977 and the main building was vacated in 1981.","period_of_significance":"1922-1940","architect_builder":"Benton & Benton (architects, school building); Robert Clemmer (architect, band building); Joe W. Stout Construction Co. (builder, school building)","architectural_style":"Classical Revival","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Vacated in 1981 after use as a school; the main building was later rehabilitated, with a 50-year lease for housing for the elderly, and the auditorium serves as a public meeting hall.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:41.654816-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/99/7193/47719399/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/90001146.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90001146/108ec27fc4-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90001146/108ec27fc4-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Bigdaverhuberg","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LenoirHighSchool.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Bigdaverhuberg</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:LenoirHighSchool.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47719399","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenoir_High_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18153534"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/caldwell-county/lenoir-high-school-90001146/"}