Highlands North Historic District
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Why it's listed
Wooded residential district in Highlands, a mountain resort town in Macon County, North Carolina, founded in 1875. Its roughly sixty acres lie within the original town boundary and hold a cluster of houses set well back on wide lots among rhododendron, hemlock and white pine. The seven principal houses were built between about 1883 and 1896, and the group continued to grow into the mid twentieth century. The oldest house, the Rideout-Whittle House, dates from about 1883. The district is significant for its architecture, with houses showing Stick Style, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival design, the Stick Style house built by John Zeigler Gottwals about 1896 being singled out as a notable example. It also shows a long mix of year-round and seasonal residents, which sets it apart from the other historic districts in Highlands.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district holds local significance in architecture for its group of late nineteenth and early twentieth century houses, which reflect the styles favored by resort builders. It is also described as containing the largest group of the oldest surviving houses in Highlands and as a neighborhood where year-round and seasonal residents lived side by side from the town's founding.
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 11000482, listed July 28, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 608-650,507-615 Hickory St., 760-856,827 N. 5th St., 23-29,425 Brock Ct.,802,850-854 N. 4th St. 29 Martha's Ln., Highlands |
|---|---|
| County | Macon County |
| Listed | July 28, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000482 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1883-1961 |
| Architect / builder | Gottwals, John Zeigler (builder); Wright, Barak (builder); Pierson, Mack (builder) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Shingle Style, Colonial Revival, Stick Style, Ranch |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The 1961 end of the period is tied to the sale of the former Pierson house, which was then remodeled as the Colonial Pines Inn. |
| Acreage | 60 |
| Coordinates | 35.05950, -83.19476 (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 11000482.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18152950
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.