Grayson, Dr. C. S., House
Also known as: Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library
Why it's listed
Built between 1923 and 1925 on a corner lot on North Main Street in High Point, this two-and-one-half story house is constructed of rock-faced gray granite from Mount Airy, cut by hand on the site. Its Colonial Revival design is strongly influenced by the Craftsman style, shown in its wraparound front porch, carved rafter ends, and tile roof. Harry Barton of Greensboro, a Beaux-Arts trained architect, designed the house for Dr. Charles S. Grayson, a High Point physician who delivered many babies and later served four terms as mayor from 1931 to 1939. The house is regarded as one of the few surviving upper-class residences of the 1910s and 1920s in High Point. Its center-hall plan remains largely unaltered, with a dining room featuring a dado and a tripartite mantel in the parlor. The property has housed a furniture reference library open to the public since 1970.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be one of the last survivors of the fashionable North Main Street residential district and one of the few surviving upper-class houses of the 1910s and 1920s in High Point. Its well-preserved design by Harry Barton of Greensboro and its association with Dr. Charles S. Grayson, a physician and four-term mayor, are cited as the basis of its 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 94000190, listed March 17, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1009 N. Main St., High Point |
|---|---|
| County | Guilford County |
| Listed | March 17, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000190 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1923-1925 |
| Architect / builder | Harry Barton (architect) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house has housed the Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library since 1970, and a 1982 rear addition was built for library stock storage. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 35.96816, -80.01493 (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 94000190.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19462064
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.