Mast General Store
Why it's listed
Valle Crucis, an unincorporated mountain village in Watauga County, North Carolina, has a business district made up of one general store. The building has three sections: a two-story central block with a gable roof, a one-story left wing, and a narrower two-story right wing, both with shed roofs behind false fronts. Segmental-arched window and door heads unify the facade, and a small gable-roofed shelter beside the store covers two gasoline pumps. Inside, shelves and aisles hold goods ranging from saddles and washboards to groceries and medicine. The oldest portion reportedly dates to 1898. W. W. Mast bought the store from C. D. Taylor in 1913, expanded it several times, and contracted with Standard Oil in 1930 to sell fuel. The business was incorporated in 1951 and has been run by the Mast family throughout the twentieth century. It was listed as a surviving example of the rural general store, which served as supplier, post office, and meeting place.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the store is a vivid, complete survivor of the rural general store, once a commercial and social center. It is valued for its extraordinary range of merchandise, its long association with the Mast family, and its authentic character as an important vernacular institution.
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 73001383, listed April 3, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of Valle Crucis on SR 1112, Valle Crucis |
|---|---|
| County | Watauga County |
| Listed | April 3, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001383 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (box checked); no specific dates given |
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still operating as a general store and post office; condition listed as good and altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.20790, -81.77984 (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 73001383.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6784860
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.