Franklin-Penland House
Why it's listed
Built around 1883 for Theodore C. Franklin, this two-story frame I-house stands on the east side of NC Highway 183 in Linville Falls, Burke County. Local carpenter William MacLamore assisted with construction, and the Franklin family sawmill supplied the lumber. The house has a center-hall plan, brick end chimneys, scalloped bargeboards, and a two-story rear ell that held guest rooms. Stokes and Laura Penland bought the property in 1901 and ran it as the Penland House inn, which drew visitors from southern and northeastern cities. In 1907 Stokes Penland built a one-room post office thirty feet north of the house; it served the community until 1925 and was then used as an inn guest house. The property is recognized for its role in early tourism around Linville Falls and for its intact architecture. Its period of significance runs from about 1883 to 1941, ending with the death of Laura Penland, as automobile travel and the Blue Ridge Parkway changed how visitors came to the mountains.
Significance in brief: The property is significant under Criterion A for Entertainment/Recreation because the house served as a mountain inn and helped shape early tourism around Linville Falls. It is also significant under Criterion C as a stylish, intact I-house and early inn, the most intact surviving nineteenth-century Franklin family house in the community. The 1907 post office on the property served as a communication and social center for the area.
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 06001106, listed November 28, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 8646 NC 183, Linville Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Burke County |
| Listed | November 28, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06001106 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1883 - 1941 |
| Architect / builder | MacLamore, William - builder |
| Architectural style | I-House |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is single-family dwelling with secondary structures; the chicken coop and dog house are described as badly deteriorated. |
| Acreage | 2.8 |
| Coordinates | 35.95321, -81.93658 (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 06001106.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18150441
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.