Mansard Roof House
Why it's listed
Built probably soon after 1883 by merchant Frank W. Thornton, this small frame house at 214 Mason Street in Fayetteville shows the Second Empire style at a modest scale. It rises one and one-half stories under a mansard roof covered with diaper-patterned pressed metal and topped by delicate cast-iron cresting. Triple-molded brackets with pendants run beneath the cornice, and the dormers and tall segmental-arched windows carry applied wooden trim. Inside, a side-hall plan holds a staircase with turned balusters and an elaborately finished front room with a marbleized stone mantel. Thornton may have built it as a rental property, though its detail is unusually rich for one. It passed through several owners before a 1966 purchaser renovated it for office use. The house is recognized as a small, well-proportioned Second Empire example, perhaps the finest of the few remaining Victorian dwellings in Fayetteville, and as a good case of adaptive use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a delightfully small example of the Second Empire style, with exuberant ornament in proportion to its scale. It is described as perhaps the finest of the few Victorian dwellings remaining in Fayetteville. It is also cited as an excellent example of adaptive use, having been renovated for offices.
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 73001332, listed March 20, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 214 Mason St., Fayetteville |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | March 20, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001332 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Frank W. Thornton (builder) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent, unaltered and on its original site; in use as law offices. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | Fayetteville Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.05614, -78.87888 (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 73001332.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18217038
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.