Zachary, Mordecai, House
Also known as: Zachary--Tolbert House
Why it's listed
Set in an open field near Cashiers in Jackson County, North Carolina, this two-story frame house was built between 1850 and 1852 by Mordecai Zachary, a skilled carpenter and son of one of the Cashiers Valley's first settlers. It follows a simple symmetrical plan with a central hall, two rooms on each side, a low hip roof, horizontal siding and a refined Greek Revival entrance with pilasters, entablature and fanlight. Construction combines timber framing with balloon framing. Later changes include a 1920s kitchen outbuilding, replaced siding in the 1940s and a removed wraparound porch. Two outbuildings, the kitchen and a small barn, are noncontributing. The house was listed for its architecture, as an intact and unusually early example of Greek Revival design in a remote mountain area where the style was rare. Moisture and settlement have caused deterioration, but the house retains its overall integrity. Local tradition links it to the Hampton family of South Carolina, though the nomination notes this is unsubstantiated.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be an intact example of a substantial two-story Greek Revival dwelling and a fine example of its builder's skilled carpentry. It is notable for its isolated mountain location and early date, since the style was rare in many western North Carolina mountain communities. It is also tied to Zachary, a member of one of Cashiers' founding families.
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 98001575, listed December 31, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 107, 0.2 mi. S of NC 1107, Cashiers |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Listed | December 31, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98001575 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850 |
| Architect / builder | Zachary, Mordecai (builder) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant; work in progress. Described as in fair condition overall, with moisture damage, settlement and deteriorated sills and floor structure. |
| Acreage | 5.2 |
| Coordinates | 35.09129, -83.08073 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 98001575.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8064012
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.