Overcarsh House
Why it's listed
Located in Charlotte's Fourth Ward, this Queen Anne house grew from a small two-room dwelling once occupied by tinsmith Daniel H. Byerly. Elias Overcarsh bought the lots in 1879 and expanded the house over the following years. It reached roughly its present form by his death in 1898, with additions continuing to about 1900. The irregular massing includes extended bays on the west and southeast, a southwest tower with scalloped shingles and a conical roof, decorative gables, and a porch with carved brackets. Inside are Eastlake surrounds, Colonial Revival mantels, pine floors and a center hall with wainscot. Overcarsh was a Methodist minister who served eight congregations. His son Bryan Jefferson Overcarsh was a Charlotte merchant, and his grandson Bryan Jr. was a longtime head cashier at North Carolina National Bank. The family kept the house until 1966. Its tower, porch, bays and woodwork represent the better vernacular houses of the late nineteenth-century Carolina piedmont.
Significance in brief: The house is one of the few significant surviving Queen Anne style houses in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, with a finely finished tower, porch, bays, gables and interior woodwork. It is also associated with the Overcarsh family, who lived there from 1879 until 1966, including Methodist minister Elias Overcarsh and his son and grandson, both Charlotte businessmen.
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 83001896, listed July 21, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 326 W. 8th St., Charlotte |
|---|---|
| County | Mecklenburg County |
| Listed | July 21, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001896 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built and enlarged by Elias Overcarsh) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; in good condition and restored in the mid-1970s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.23282, -80.84132 (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 83001896.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987433
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.