Lanning, John A., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1839 on Gap Creek in the Fairview section of Buncombe County, North Carolina, this saddlebag house is built of hewn yellow pine logs joined with full-dovetail notches, a rare cornering method in the county where half-dovetail was the norm. The upper-story logs run continuously across the house for about forty-four feet, and the gables project on extended plates. John A. Lanning, a farmer who was also a blacksmith and cobbler, made the hardware himself, and some of it survives in place. The house and its early outbuildings, including a double-pen log barn and a log double corn crib, are regarded as a well-preserved example of a yeoman farm of the early nineteenth century. Alterations since then include replaced windows, enclosed porches and sheetrock interior walls, but the core log structure remains largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the best preserved exposed example of early nineteenth century log construction in Buncombe County. Its full-dovetail notching, long continuous upper logs, yellow pine construction and original hand-forged hardware set it apart from standard log work. Several early outbuildings, including a double-pen log barn and a double corn crib, survive with it and represent a typical yeoman farm of the period.
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 82003437, listed September 23, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of Fairview on SR 3128, Fairview |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County |
| Listed | September 23, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003437 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Saddlebag |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered; occupied by the present owner. Original mud daubing replaced with cement in the 1930s and roof replaced with tin during 1930 renovations. |
| Acreage | 6 |
| Coordinates | 35.52106, -82.43210 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 82003437.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18153413
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.