Hemphill, J. L., House
Also known as: Lowe House or Woodie House
Why it's listed
Set at the crest of a hill on a four-acre lot of lawn and woodland, this 1899 house at 203 N. Brook Street in Wilkesboro is a large two-story frame dwelling in the Queen Anne style. J. L. (Jimmy) Hemphill, who ran a wholesale dry goods company and also worked in the building trade, built it. The house has a hip-roofed central block with gabled projections on four sides, a polygonal tower with a bell-cast roof, and a wraparound porch with turned posts and spindlework. Surfaces vary from German siding to patterned metal roof shingles and diamond-cut gable shingles, and the gable windows hold stained glass. Inside, a central hall, a turned stairway and beaded-board sheathing remain, though the first floor was later covered with paneling. The nomination considers it the most prominent Queen Anne dwelling left in Wilkesboro. Since 1920 it has passed through the Lowe and Woodie family.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the most prominent Queen Anne style dwelling remaining in Wilkesboro. It embodies the style's irregular massing and variety of texture and ornamentation as interpreted in North Carolina frame houses around the turn of the twentieth century. Its interior is described as representative of common millwork of the period.
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 82003526, listed August 24, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 203 N. Brook St., Wilkesboro |
|---|---|
| County | Wilkes County |
| Listed | August 24, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003526 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1899 |
| Architect / builder | J. L. Hemphill |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne (late Victorian) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence; exterior largely intact, with first-floor interior walls and ceilings later covered over with plywood paneling and acoustical tiles. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 36.14718, -81.16454 (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 82003526.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20709234
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.