Masonic Hall
Why it's listed
Rising three stories above downtown Waynesville, this brick building at 114 Church Street was erected in 1927 by Waynesville Lodge No. 259 and designed by Charlotte architect W.H. Peeps. Its Neo-Classical Revival front has a concrete first story with Doric and Ionic columns and upper floors with Corinthian pilasters. The ground floor held offices, the second floor a banquet hall and offices, and the third floor a large Masonic meeting room with a stage and ornate plaster work that remains unaltered. The building went up during the 1920s boom in western North Carolina and cost about $80,000. The Masons lost it through default in 1930. County court met in the banquet room until the new courthouse opened in 1932. Later it served as a professional building, dance hall, theater and community center. It is listed for its role in local commerce and Masonic history and as the town's only example of its architectural style.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be significant under Criteria A and C as a landmark of the 1920s commercial boom in western North Carolina and of the local Masonic lodge. It is the only Neo-Classical Revival building in Waynesville and the tallest commercial building in town. It also represents a group of early twentieth-century Masonic temples in North Carolina downtowns.
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 88000729, listed June 9, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 114 Church St., Waynesville |
|---|---|
| County | Haywood County |
| Listed | June 9, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000729 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Peeps, W.H., Charlotte, architect; Phillips, N.C., Waynesville, builder |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Neo-Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use for business offices, with a Masonic meeting room on the third floor; altered only by replaced first-floor side windows and the front door in a 1973 renovation. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | Waynesville Main Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.48971, -82.98877 (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 88000729.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6783686
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.