Long, McCorkle and Murray Houses
Also known as: Luther F. Long House; George McCorkle House; Murray--Miller Ho
Why it's listed
Three houses on the west side of the 1300 block of North Main Avenue in Newton form a small cluster of early twentieth-century and late Victorian architecture. The oldest is the McCorkle House, built around 1890 by attorney George McCorkle. It is a two-story Queen Anne dwelling with a five-gable roof, fishscale shingles, a wraparound porch and a late Victorian stairway. Next to it, the Long House was built by railroad agent Luther Freeman Long after he bought the lot in 1902. It is a large Bungalow with a porte-cochere, a shed dormer and an interior mixing Colonial Revival, Tudor and Craftsman details. Landscaped grounds, a garage and a servant's house accompany it. At the south end, the Murray House, built about 1920, is a Bungalow covered entirely in dark green wood shingles, with stone porch posts and a large stone mantel. Together the houses are recognized for their architecture and good preservation.
Significance in brief: The three houses together show a range of architectural styles from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The McCorkle House is one of the most outstanding Queen Anne dwellings remaining in Newton. The Long House is a very early Bungalow for the town with an eclectic interior, and the Murray House is a more standard Bungalow with Craftsman interior detailing. They are listed under Criterion C as examples of Catawba County post-bellum and twentieth-century houses.
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 90001371, listed September 5, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1310--1326 N. Main Ave., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Catawba County |
| Listed | September 5, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001371 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1890; ca. 1902; ca. 1920 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (houses built by George McCorkle, Luther Freeman Long, and apparently Grover E. Murray) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne; Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | All three houses are in use as single dwellings and are described as having excellent integrity. A small log commercial building on the Long property is vacant, and the Murray garage is seriously deteriorated. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 35.67653, -81.22103 (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 90001371.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18153774
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.