Weaving Room of Crossnore School
Also known as: Home Spun House
Why it's listed
Built in 1936 on the Crossnore School campus in Avery County, North Carolina, this small river rock building houses a weaving program that began in 1920. It replaced a log structure destroyed by fire in 1935. Local craftsmen and schoolchildren hauled stone from the Linville River, and lumber came from diseased chestnut trees. The building has a tall side gable roof, projecting wings, chestnut bark shingles and an angel figure set in the rock facade. A 1986 board-and-batten addition holds looms for fifteen weavers. Inside, wormy chestnut boards and exposed pine beams remain. The weaving program followed Berea College's model and grew into part of the Appalachian craft revival, providing work and training for mountain women and students and selling directly to buyers. It is described as the only production center of its kind still operating in North Carolina. Its Rustic Revival design echoes other local rockwork, including a church from 1926 and a hospital from 1928.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion A as the only production center of its kind still operating in North Carolina, representing the southeastern handicraft revival that gave employment and education to mountain women and children. Under Criterion C, it is a local example of Rustic Revival architecture using river rock, chestnut lumber and chestnut bark.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 01000417, listed April 25, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 205 Johnson Ln., Crossnore |
|---|---|
| County | Avery County |
| Listed | April 25, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000417 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1936-1951 |
| Architectural style | Other: Rustic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Other |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a weaving production center and store; a rear addition was built in 1986 and two upstairs apartments house school employees. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 36.02385, -81.93032 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 01000417.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18159184
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.