Sharpe-Gentry Farm
Also known as: Sharpe,John O.,Farm
Why it's listed
Set on N.C. Highway 10 in southwest Catawba County near Propst Crossroads, the Sharpe-Gentry Farm centers on a one-and-one-half story hip-roofed frame house built circa 1903 for John O. Sharpe, a small farmer and lumberman. Its wrap-around veranda, with turned posts and balusters, is the most decorative feature of an otherwise plain Queen Anne style cottage. The farmstead includes a frame barn, granary, garage, engine house and sheds, most of which date from the house's early years. John W. and Lucille Gentry bought the farm in 1919 for $5,000 and moved into the house in 1923. Lucille Gentry ran a small dairy here and kept the buildings in use while her husband worked as a crane operator. The property is regarded as one of the most intact early twentieth-century farmsteads in the county, with its house, outbuildings and surrounding fields still reflecting the agricultural life of the period.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is one of the most intact twentieth-century farmsteads in Catawba County and a representative example of a turn-of-the-century agricultural unit. It cites the Queen Anne house with its turned-post veranda and the associated outbuildings as significant for their architecture, and the farm's agricultural use as significant under its historic context.
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 90000859, listed June 21, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of NC 10 and SR 1137, Propst Crossroads |
|---|---|
| County | Catawba County |
| Listed | June 21, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000859 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1903-1939 |
| Architect / builder | John O. Sharpe (builder of the house) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Largely unaltered; the farm is not fully operational and its fields are farmed by neighboring renters. |
| Acreage | 28 |
| Coordinates | 35.62819, -81.37244 (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 90000859.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18157956
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.