Downtown Mocksville Historic District
Also known as: See Also:Davie County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Mocksville's downtown grew around a town square planned in 1837, when Davie County was created and Mocksville named its seat. The district holds 22 contributing and 9 noncontributing resources, including the 1916 Davie County Courthouse, built using the shell of a 1909 building that burned, and the 1909 county jail of rusticated concrete block. Around the square are one- to three-story brick commercial buildings from about 1880 to the 1940s, among them the three-story Sanford Brothers Building of 1927, the former Princess Theatre, and the Johnstone Office Building of 1939. Small service stations from the 1920s and 1930s add Spanish Mission and Tudor Revival touches. The area is recognized as the only sizable historic urban commercial center in a mostly rural county, as the long-standing site of county government, and for its mix of modest vernacular and Classical Revival architecture. Many shopfronts have been altered, but upper floors largely survive.
Significance in brief: The district is significant under Criterion A for Commerce as the only historic urban commercial center of any size in a largely rural county, and for Politics/Government as the sole site of the county courthouse. Under Criterion C it is significant for Architecture, with Commercial Vernacular and Classical Revival buildings overlooked by the Beaux Arts courthouse. Despite alterations, the group retains integrity of local significance.
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 90000821, listed June 1, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly Main St. from Water to Gaither Sts., including Town Square, Mocksville |
|---|---|
| County | Davie County |
| Listed | June 1, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000821 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1880-1940 |
| Architect / builder | James & Lanier, Builders; Northup & O'Brien, Architects; J. L. Crouse, Builder; A. H. Cozart, Builder |
| Architectural style | Commercial Vernacular, Classical Revival, Beaux Arts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Many first-floor shopfronts have been rebuilt, though upper levels mostly retain integrity; some rehabilitation was under way, including the former Meroney Hardware Building. The district has 22 contributing and 9 noncontributing resources. |
| Acreage | 6 |
| Coordinates | 35.89436, -80.56167 (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 90000821.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18388715
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.