North Carolina School for the Deaf Historic District
Why it's listed
This historic district covers the older core of the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton. Nineteen buildings and structures sit on about 68 acres, fourteen of them contributing. They were built between ca. 1891 and ca. 1939 around a broad, tree-shaded lawn below Spa Hill. The centerpiece is the E-shaped brick Main Building with its clock tower, designed by Augustus Bauer in a high-Victorian style. Later buildings include Colonial Revival and Romanesque Goodwin Hall, the eclectic Hoey Hall of 1939 designed by Charles C. Benton, the Superintendent's Residence, an infirmary, staff housing and a farm complex with a large gambrel-roofed barn. The school opened in 1894 after a campaign led by Dr. Edward McKee Goodwin to separate education of the deaf from that of the blind. He served as superintendent until 1937. The school became nationally known for its modern campus and progressive teaching, and the district preserves the original arrangement of its buildings and setting.
Significance in brief: The district is significant in social/humanitarian history and education as the state's first separate, state-supported school for deaf children, known nationally for progressive teaching methods. It is also tied to superintendent Dr. Edward McKee Goodwin and holds architecturally notable buildings, led by Augustus Bauer's high-Victorian Main Building.
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 89000325, listed April 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. US 70 and US 64, Morganton |
|---|---|
| County | Burke County |
| Listed | April 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000325 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1891-ca. 1939 |
| Architect / builder | Augustus Bauer, Charles C. Benton |
| Architectural style | High Victorian (Main Building), with Colonial Revival, Romanesque and eclectic Art Deco/Gothic/Classical buildings |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated good to fair; the campus remains an operating school with modern buildings behind the historic ones. The Main Building's original wooden porches have been removed and its interior greatly remodeled. |
| Acreage | 68 |
| Coordinates | 35.72978, -81.68805 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89000325.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.