Propst, David F., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1887 for farmer David F. Propst, this two-story brick farmhouse sits about two miles northeast of Maiden in Catawba County, North Carolina. It is a three-bay, single-pile house with end chimneys, laid in six-to-one common bond with large, light orange-brown bricks that family tradition says were handmade. Plain brick pilasters mark the bays, and a corbelled cornice runs across the gable ends. A one-story brick rear ell repeats the detailing. Inside, the first-floor mantels have reeded pilasters and curved friezes, and the stair has a chamfered newel and curved brackets. The house is one of a small group of brick farmhouses raised in rural Catawba County in the 1870s and 1880s, each with its own detailing. Propst farmed 150 to 250 acres, raised ten children here, and his farm held through the hard times of the 1890s and the Depression. Only the house lot survives today.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is architecturally significant as one of a small group of similar brick houses built in rural Catawba County in the 1870s and 1880s. Its most distinctive feature is the strong division of the walls by plain brick pilasters and a corbelled cornice. It also represents the single-family farm that has dominated much of the county's history.
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 90000864, listed June 21, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of SR 1810 and SR 1878, Maiden |
|---|---|
| County | Catawba County |
| Listed | June 21, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000864 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1887 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house has been sporadically vacant since 1986. The farm once exceeded 100 acres, but only the house lot remains. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 35.59756, -81.18548 (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 90000864.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18157032
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.