Joy Lee Apartment Building and Annex
Why it's listed
Two concrete block apartment buildings on Carolina Beach Avenue in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, have housed beach vacationers since the mid-1940s. The two-story 1945 duplex and the 1948 four-unit Annex were designed by owner Grover Lewis, a masonry worker who moved to the area to take a shipyard job. William Bordeaux built the basic main building, and the family made the cement blocks by hand with a block press. Stucco walls, parapet and cantilevered rooflines, molded diamond-shaped plaster lozenges, and decorative concrete balustrades give the buildings an Art Moderne and Art Deco character. Concrete block became the favored material in town after a 1940 fire destroyed the business district, since it resisted fire, wind and wartime material shortages. The buildings were listed for architecture and for their role in the town's post-war resort development. Later changes, including a 1976 pool and new stairs, have not altered their bold, blocky forms.
Significance in brief: The buildings are argued to be significant for architecture as a distinctive vernacular beach interpretation of Art Moderne and Art Deco design, with Spanish Mission and Prairie-style touches. They are also significant for community development, reflecting the shift to masonry construction in Carolina Beach after the 1940 fire and during wartime shortages. The Annex is included because it is closely tied in time and place to the original building.
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 97000256, listed April 3, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 317 Carolina Beach Ave., N., Carolina Beach |
|---|---|
| County | New Hanover County |
| Listed | April 3, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000256 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1945;1948 |
| Architect / builder | Lewis, Grover L. - Architect/Builder; Bordeaux, William W. - Builder |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement; Art Deco (Art Moderne/Moderne) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is hotel (apartment lodging for beach visitors); the buildings retain a high degree of integrity despite changes from 1954 to 1976. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.03739, -77.89125 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 97000256.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19462646
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.