Harshaw Chapel and Cemetery
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Harshaw Chapel is a small brick church in Murphy, North Carolina, set on a shaded knoll within the Murphy Methodist Cemetery. Built of handmade brick in a simple temple form with a gable roof, it was given to the town's first Methodist congregation by early settler Joshua Harshaw and dedicated on May 1, 1869. Harshaw had donated the site and burial ground in 1844. The congregation moved to a larger church in the 1920s, and the chapel saw little use afterward. In 1965 it was deeded to a local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter, which rehabilitated it, including a new cedar shake roof and a rebuilt belfry. It is the oldest church in Cherokee County and the county's only surviving mid-nineteenth century brick building. The cemetery holds graves of prominent early residents, including Murphy's first lawyer and first hotel founder, and the stone of Abram Enloe, tied to a folk tradition about Abraham Lincoln's parentage.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | Ca. 1869 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Vernacular Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Harshaw Chapel and Cemetery (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.