Cooper, Robert Lafayette, House
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Why it's listed
Built between 1889 and 1891 on Campbell Street in Murphy, this two-story frame house was constructed by Robert Lafayette Cooper, a lawyer, banker and local politician, as a wedding present for his wife, Grace Pruden Cooper. Its irregular massing includes hipped and gabled roofs, octagonal towers, bays and a sawnwork porch, all sheathed in weatherboard and decorative shingles. The Coopers remodeled and enlarged it in 1903-1904, adding porches, a sitting room and elaborate interior detail. Inside, rooms feature parquet floors and wainscoting in walnut, cherry, oak, maple and pine, along with spindlework and stained glass. No architect has been identified; Cooper's account books show how closely the couple supervised the work, using lumber from his own timberlands and locally fired brick. The second floor became an apartment in the 1930s. The house was listed for its architecture, as the fullest local expression of the Queen Anne style in Cherokee County, and for the survival of its original and early features.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a rare and excellent example of Queen Anne architecture in western North Carolina, where vernacular forms predominate. It cites the asymmetrical massing, towers, bays, porches and varied native-wood interior detailing, much of it still intact. It is considered significant at the local level under architecture.
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 90001372, listed September 5, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 109 Campbell St., Murphey |
|---|---|
| County | Cherokee County |
| Listed | September 5, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001372 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1889-1891; 1903-1904 |
| Architect / builder | Not known; no architect or builder definitely identified (Robert Lafayette Cooper and wife Grace Pruden Cooper took a strong role in design and construction) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a residence; the second floor was converted to an apartment in the 1930s, and the current function is listed as multiple dwelling, with a family member living there part-time. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 35.08710, -84.03043 (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 90001372.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17508622
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.