Oakwood Historic District
Why it's listed
Oakwood is a residential neighborhood of about fifty-five acres in northwest Hickory, laid out along Second, Third, Fourth and Sixth streets and avenues. Its sixty-four buildings span the early 1880s to the mid-1940s, beginning with modest frame houses on Sixth Street, such as the 1882 Michael L. Cline House. Later construction includes Queen Anne houses, a notable Shingle Style house built for Abel A. Shuford II, and large Colonial Revival homes built between 1907 and 1913. Brick and stone Georgian and Federal inspired houses followed in the 1920s through 1940s, along with Tudor Revival and Spanish Mission examples. Large landscaped lots, consistent setbacks and deed restrictions on Second Avenue give the area a cohesive look that sets it apart from newer surrounding development. Oakwood Cemetery, begun in 1889 and designed by F. A. Grace, became Hickory's principal burial ground and holds many of the city's early leaders and industrialists.
Significance in brief: The district is described as one of the two finest late nineteenth and early twentieth century neighborhoods in Hickory. It holds late Queen Anne houses, one of the city's finest Shingle Style houses, and a series of Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival and Tudor Revival homes. Oakwood Cemetery is the burial place of many of Hickory's earliest leaders.
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 86000687, listed March 25, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Oakwood Cemetery and Fourth Ave. NW, Fourth St. NW, Second Ave. NW, and Sixth St. NW, Hickory |
|---|---|
| County | Catawba County |
| Listed | March 25, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000687 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | F. A. Grace (designer of Oakwood Cemetery, 1889); J. Summie Propst (built the John H. P. Cilley House, 1912) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Shingle Style, Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival, Tudor Revival, Spanish Mission Revival, bungalow |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked as excellent, good and fair, with some deterioration; present use is mainly private residence, with some other uses. |
| Acreage | 55 |
| Within district | Claremont High School Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.73494, -81.34628 (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 86000687.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7074316
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.