Orr, Charles E., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1926 for Charles Edmund Orr, a Brevard postmaster and county roads commissioner, this two-story Tudor Revival house sits on a prominent corner lot where East Main Street shifts from downtown businesses to a residential neighborhood. Its walls are rock-faced gray granite from the Cove Mill quarry, the same source as St. Philip's Episcopal Church across the street. The roof combines hip and clipped gable forms and slopes low over a one-story sunroom. A stone cottage, originally planned as a garage and built for the Orrs' married daughter, stands beside it. The stonework is attributed to the Wright brothers, local masons who worked on the church at the same time. The house is considered a good local example of Tudor Revival design and part of a notable group of stone buildings that set Transylvania County apart for twentieth-century masonry. Later changes include a 1980s solarium and an enlarged kitchen.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be a good local example of the Tudor Revival style and part of an important group of stone buildings erected in Transylvania County between 1915 and 1943. The stonework is attributed to the Wright brothers, local masons, using granite from the same quarry as St. Philip's Episcopal Church across the street. It meets Criterion C at the local level.
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 06001108, listed December 6, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 269 E. Main St., Brevard |
|---|---|
| County | Transylvania County |
| Listed | December 6, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06001108 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1926 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (stonework attributed to the Wright brothers, stonemasons) |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single-family dwelling; the current owners are undertaking a certified rehabilitation and the kitchen is being remodeled. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | East Main Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.23190, -82.72940 (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 06001108.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987425
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.