Mast Farm
Why it's listed
Mast Farm is a complex of ten major buildings in a small valley near Valle Crucis, in Watauga County, North Carolina, surrounded by forested hills. The oldest structure is a two-story squared-log dwelling built about 1812, thought to be the work of David Mast and later converted to a weaving house. His son Andrew B. Mast greatly enlarged the farm and had the present main house built in 1885 by M. C. Church. Later generations took in summer boarders escaping the lowland heat, and the house was expanded for them. Other buildings include a gazebo, wash house, spring house, meat house with a bell tower, woodhouse, apple house, blacksmith shop and a large gambrel-roofed barn. Each building reflects its particular job on a self-sufficient farm. The property was listed because it is one of the most complete and best-preserved groups of nineteenth-century farm buildings in western North Carolina, and because it shows a pioneer family's rise from a small log house to larger landholdings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the farm is an unusually complete and well-preserved example of a typical nineteenth-century North Carolina mountain farm. Its buildings, each shaped by its function, show the range of work on a self-sustaining farm. The complex also traces a pioneer family's progression from a small log dwelling to a larger house and landholdings, and includes one of the best-preserved groups of nineteenth-century farm buildings in western North Carolina.
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 72001002, listed January 20, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E of Valle Crucis off SR 1112, Valle Crucis |
|---|---|
| County | Watauga County |
| Listed | January 20, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001002 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th and 20th centuries (no specific dates given) |
| Architect / builder | M. C. Church (built main house, 1885, for Andrew B. Mast); David Mast thought to have built the log weaving house about 1812 |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent to good and varying; buildings described as virtually unaltered since construction. Used as a private residence and for agriculture. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 36.20651, -81.77067 (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 72001002.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20679811
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.