S And W Cafeteria
Also known as: Dale's Cafeteria; See Also:79001676
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Why it's listed
Built in 1929 on Patton Avenue in Asheville, this three-story Art Deco building was designed by Douglas D. Ellington as a cafeteria from the start. Its main facade is faced with grey ashlar and framed by pilaster strips, with round-arched windows rising through the second floor, chevron bands in blue and grey, and a chrome canopy over the entrance. The interior has a principal dining room with a mezzanine on compound piers faced with checkered marble and a diamond-patterned plaster ceiling. The S & W chain opened its first Asheville cafeteria in 1922 in a leased building, then moved into this purpose-built home. The building is regarded as one of the finest Art Deco structures in North Carolina and one of the state's earliest cafeterias. It housed the S & W facility for nearly forty-five years, and in the 1940s it was said to serve over 5,000 people a day.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is one of the finest Art Deco structures in North Carolina, with an unusually rich and imaginative facade of polychrome ornament, and that it is one of the state's earliest cafeterias. It housed the S & W cafeteria chain's Asheville location for about forty-five years and is described as virtually unaltered.
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 77000993, listed March 28, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Patton Ave., Asheville |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County |
| Listed | March 28, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000993 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Douglas D. Ellington (architect) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Presently occupied by Dale's Cafeteria, a locally owned facility unconnected with the S & W chain; the building remains owned by the S & W Company of Charlotte. |
| Within district | Downtown Asheville Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.59488, -82.55244 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 77000993.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18157629
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.