Artz, Welsford Parker, House
Also known as: Catawba Hill; Artz House
Why it's listed
Perched on an elevated lot one block from Main Street in Old Fort, this two-and-one-half story frame house was built between 1904 and 1906 for Welsford Parker Artz, the first superintendent of the Catawba Tannery. The tannery, run by the United States Leather Company, employed more than 250 townspeople by 1910 and operated until about 1930. From the house, Artz could overlook the plant. Frank J. Lindsey and Son of Middletown, New York, wrote the specifications, and Merrimon Keeter of Old Fort is thought to have built it. The house combines Colonial Revival detailing, such as dentilled cornices, Tuscan porch columns and Palladian-influenced gable windows, with the asymmetrical massing of the Queen Anne style. Inside, a colonnaded window seat, yellow pine floors and original fixtures survive. Its significance rests on its link to the town's leather industry and on Lindsey's craftsmanship. A concrete cistern is also counted as a contributing resource.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the Catawba Tannery and extract works that U.S. Leather established in Old Fort in 1904, the town's major industry for about thirty years. It also represents the work of master architect Frank J. Lindsey of Middletown, New York, as an early Colonial Revival house. It is described as the only well-preserved, stylish early Colonial Revival house in Old Fort.
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 90001311, listed August 23, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 205 Maple St., Old Fort |
|---|---|
| County | McDowell County |
| Listed | August 23, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001311 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1904-1925 |
| Architect / builder | Lindsey, Frank J., architect (F.J. Lindsey and Son); Keeter, Merrimon, builder |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival; Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single dwelling; the interior is largely unaltered and the house has been maintained in near-mint condition. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 35.63172, -82.17909 (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 90001311.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460288
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.