Mayes House
Why it's listed
Built about 1902 at 435 East Morehead Street in Charlotte, this two-story house was the home of John H. Mayes, a textile machinery agent and mill designer, and his wife Idella Green Mayes. Its form is asymmetrical, with a large cross-gambrel roof covered in slate, wood-shingled upper walls, and a brick first story over a raised basement. Inside, a large living hall has a brick fireplace and a staircase that widens as it descends, lit by a tall stained glass window at the landing. Original wood floors, tiled fireplaces, and a dining room with Ionic columns survive. The Mayes family lived here until 1926. The house once stood among fashionable homes, including that of mill entrepreneur Stewart W. Cramer, but it now sits almost alone beside a freeway and commercial buildings. It is the last surviving residence of Charlotte's Second Ward and a rare intact local example of the Shingle Style, which is why it was listed for its architecture.
Significance in brief: It is the only surviving turn-of-the-century house in Charlotte's old Second Ward and one of the few fine houses left on once-fashionable Morehead Street. The nomination also calls it a rare intact example of the Shingle Style in Charlotte, with a cross-gambrel roof and well-preserved interior features. It is listed under Criterion C for architecture.
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 93000735, listed August 5, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 435 E. Morehead St., Charlotte |
|---|---|
| County | Mecklenburg County |
| Listed | August 5, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000735 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1902 |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed function is vacant/not in use; the then-owner intended to rehabilitate the house as a law office. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.19063, -80.84800 (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 93000735.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19986998
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.