Apex Historic District (Boundary Increase II)
Why it's listed
Forty-three buildings on the northern, southern, eastern and western edges of the Apex Historic District in Wake County, North Carolina, make up this boundary increase. Most are one-story houses built between about 1900 and 1959, with forty residential buildings and three commercial buildings. The houses include Craftsman bungalows, Queen Anne houses, triple-A I-houses, Minimal Traditional cottages and Ranch houses, most with garages or carports added for automobiles. The area is significant for its record of how Apex grew from a railroad-based town into one organized around the car after World War II. Two of the three commercial buildings historically served automobiles, including a 1947 gas and auto service station at West Williams Street and South Salem Street. Many houses use asbestos shingle, Masonite, aluminum siding and concrete block, materials that were popular nationally in the period. Six of the forty-three buildings are non-contributing, and eight vacant lots are included in the boundary.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the area is locally significant for its early- and mid-twentieth-century residential architecture and development patterns, which reflect the shift from railroad-based to automobile-based growth in Apex. Its houses in Craftsman, Minimal Traditional and Ranch styles show changing national housing trends, and the three commercial buildings include automobile-related businesses.
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 07001502, listed January 31, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly centered on Hunter, Center, Chatham, Cunningham, Holleman & Hughes Sts., Apex |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | January 31, 2008 |
| Reference number | 07001502 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1900-1959 |
| Architectural style | Craftsman bungalow, Queen Anne, I-house, Minimal Traditional, Ranch, Modern Movement |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house at 305 Center Street is occupied by family members; one commercial building houses a restaurant and another is a gas and auto service station; eight vacant lots are included in the district. |
| Acreage | 21.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.73057, -78.84689 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 07001502.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4779425
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.