Hooper, Dr. D. D., House
Why it's listed
Standing at the western end of Sylva's downtown Main Street, this two-story Queen Anne house was designed and built in 1906 by local architect/builder Charles M. Wells for Dr. Delos Dexter Hooper. It has a hipped roof with lower cross gables, weatherboard siding, a brick foundation and a one-story kitchen wing. In the mid 1930s Hooper added an office wing so he could treat patients at home, as two other Sylva doctors also did. The design closely resembles a Sears, Roebuck catalog house, and the interior retains fine woodwork, including an Eastlake-influenced staircase. It is one of two surviving Queen Anne houses downtown and the second oldest building on Main Street, predating the 1913 courthouse. Hooper lived here until his death in 1973, and the house became a Jackson County Library annex in 1986. It was listed for its architecture and its link to Sylva's growth as the county seat.
Significance in brief: It is one of only two remaining Queen Anne houses in downtown Sylva and the second oldest structure on Main Street. Its design closely resembles a Sears, Roebuck catalog plan, showing the influence of national pattern books. It also reflects the confidence of local citizens during Sylva's rapid growth and its successful bid for the county seat, and it was the home and later the office of a prominent local doctor.
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 00000395, listed April 21, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 773 W. Main St., Sylva |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Listed | April 21, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000395 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Charles M. Wells |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian / Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Deeded to Jackson County in 1986 and used as an annex to the Jackson County Library; the form notes it is in need of repairs, including water damage at the balcony and a chimney in poor condition. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.37365, -83.22682 (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 00000395.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19462395
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.