Smathers, Frank, House
Also known as: The Evergreens
Why it's listed
Built in 1926 as a summer residence in Waynesville, North Carolina, the Frank Smathers House is a one-and-a-half-story frame dwelling with weatherboard walls, a stone foundation and steeply pitched cross-gable roof. Its H-shaped plan encloses a central courtyard, later adapted as a raised deck, and its facade features a Palladian window, a portico and a diamond-paned door. The design blends Gothic and Colonial Revival details. Frank Smathers Sr., a New Jersey district court judge who later practiced law in Miami, commissioned the house from Florida architect Richard DeGarmo and used it for entertaining guests and business associates. The house is regarded as one of the most distinctive high-style residences in Waynesville and a notable example of the town's early twentieth-century seasonal dwellings. Its largely intact exterior and interior features are cited as reasons for its importance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a locally significant example of eclectic architecture blending Gothic and Colonial Revival elements, with an unusual H-shaped plan and Florida-influenced design. It is presented as one of the few architect-designed, high-style residences in Waynesville and is tied to the prominent Smathers family, including judge and author Frank Smathers Sr.
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 98000730, listed July 10, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 724 Smathers St., Waynesville |
|---|---|
| County | Haywood County |
| Listed | July 10, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000730 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1926 |
| Architect / builder | Richard DeGarmo (architect); local contractors and builders (construction) |
| Architectural style | Eclectic; Gothic and Colonial Revival elements |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a bed and breakfast and family home after 1996 according to the document. |
| Acreage | 2.7 |
| Coordinates | 35.50670, -82.98081 (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 98000730.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q24041059
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.