South Broad Street Row
Why it's listed
Six late Victorian frame houses line South Broad Street in Mooresville, just south of the commercial district and beside the railroad tracks. They are the last intact part of a larger group of early residences that once stood on both sides of the line. Built between about 1885 and 1914, the one- and two-story dwellings share ornamented porches, brackets, kingpost gables and segmental or pointed-arch window and door surrounds. The row includes a former Presbyterian manse from 1891 and houses tied to a physician, a pharmacist, a department store owner, a cotton seed oil mill manager who later served as mayor, and a contractor's family. Their listing rests on the link to Mooresville's earliest residential growth, which followed the arrival of the railroad in 1873 and carried the town from 23 residents to about 1,000 by 1900. The row also reflects the prominent local citizens who lived there and the period's architecture.
Significance in brief: The row is the last intact section of late 19th century houses that once flanked the railroad tracks south of downtown Mooresville. It shows the architecture of the period when the railroad drove the town's growth. The houses were occupied by prominent local merchants, physicians, a pharmacist, a contractor and a mayor.
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 80002862, listed November 24, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 251-311 S. Broad St., Mooresville |
|---|---|
| County | Iredell County |
| Listed | November 24, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002862 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1875-1914 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, with Italianate influences |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Houses are in good condition with some alterations; at least one remains in the original family; present use is private residence. |
| Acreage | 3.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.58066, -80.81669 (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 80002862.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7566416
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.