Foil-Cline House
Also known as: Foil,John A. House
Why it's listed
Built in 1883 at 406 South Main Avenue in Newton, this two-story frame house reflects the Italianate style and is regarded as one of the best surviving examples in Catawba County. It has an irregular plan, a brick foundation, weatherboard siding, a multi-gabled roof with curvilinear brackets, pierced bargeboards, tall four-over-four windows, and bay windows with bracketed cornices. Porches use paneled posts with V-shaped panels and sawnwork brackets. Inside are a center hall, two stairs, and two period mantels. The house was built for John A. Foil, who taught mathematics, science and Greek at nearby Catawba College for decades and served as a German Reformed minister. He lived here until his death in 1912. A tornado in March 1884 damaged the new house. His heirs sold it to the college in 1919, and the Cline family later owned it from 1925 until 1977. The property remains a single-family home.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be one of the best surviving examples of the Italianate style in Catawba County, with its original character largely unaltered. It is also significant for education because it was the home of professor John A. Foil from construction until his death in 1912.
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 90001034, listed July 5, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 406 S. Main Ave., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Catawba County |
| Listed | July 5, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001034 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1883-1912 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built for John A. Foil) |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the north porch is described as altered and lacking a floor. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.65813, -81.22451 (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 90001034.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18150186
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.