{"nrhp_refnum":"96000206","name":"Crossnore Presbyterian Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"US 221/NC 194 E side, opposite jct. with Dellinger Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Crossnore","county":"Avery County","state":"NC","lat":36.018270131000065,"lon":-81.92958457899994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1996-03-01","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story-on-basement stone church with a T-plan on a wooded hilltop on the east side of US 221/NC 194 in Crossnore, Avery County, North Carolina, built 1924-1926 by local stonemason and carpenter William Erwin Franklin.","why_significant":"The church is argued to be statewide significant in architecture under Criterion C as an intact example of Craftsman influence on vernacular building traditions in western North Carolina. It is the chief surviving work of builder William Erwin Franklin, who used Linville River stone and chestnut bark. It is also tied to the development of Crossnore and the Sloops' charitable work.","narrative":"Crossnore Presbyterian Church is a T-plan building of river rock on a wooded hilltop above the town of Crossnore, North Carolina. Built between 1924 and 1926, it reflects Craftsman influence on local building traditions. William Erwin Franklin, a local carpenter and stonemason, laid up water-smoothed stones from the Linville River and sheathed the sanctuary ceiling with chestnut bark in a herringbone pattern. The roof is covered with thin cement tiles, and twin towers of unequal height flank a porch on the west front. Inside, Franklin built an unusual rock pulpit and a three-seat rock sofa, a feature described as unique among North Carolina churches. The congregation, organized in 1918, is closely linked to the educational and medical work of Dr. Eustace and Dr. Mary Sloop, whose land the church occupies. The building has changed little since its first service on 8 August 1926, and it is considered the chief surviving work of Franklin. A stone arch and a woodland cemetery accompany it.","period_of_significance":"1924-1926","architect_builder":"Franklin, William Erwin--builder","architectural_style":"Craftsman","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still used as a church and cemetery; little altered since 1926. The former manse across the highway is vacant and in ruin.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:57:48.767647-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/79/7189/47718979/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/96000206.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47718979","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossnore_Presbyterian_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5188736"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/avery-county/crossnore-presbyterian-church-96000206/"}