Zapp Building
Also known as: Country Place Hotel and Restaurant
Why it's listed
Standing on a corner of Fayetteville's town square, this two-story brick building was completed in 1900 for merchant Hugo Zapp. Its angled corner entrance, second-floor gallery, polychromed red and yellow brick walls, stucco water table imitating rusticated stone and pressed-metal ceilings make it a fine example of Romanesque Revival design. Stidham and Kurtz are named as builders, though the designer of the plans is unknown. It is the only masonry commercial building on the square, where other early commercial buildings were wood and many were lost to fire. Zapp ran a mercantile business here, while upstairs rooms held a dentist, an undertaker and hotel rooms for traveling salesmen. Later tenants included a hospital, a school, a cafe, a boarding house and a Prohibition-era speakeasy in the basement. Its main alteration came in the 1920s, when the interior gallery was closed in. The building continues in commercial and hotel use today.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an unusually fine, well-preserved example of Romanesque Revival style and the only masonry commercial building on Fayetteville's square, where the other early commercial buildings were wood. It also reflects the varied commercial uses and the aspirations of local merchants and builders at the turn of the century.
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 83003139, listed June 23, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Fayette and Washington Sts., Fayetteville |
|---|---|
| County | Fayette County |
| Listed | June 23, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003139 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Stidham & Kurtz, Builders |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in commercial use at the time of nomination, with an architect's office, a restaurant, an antique shop and hotel rooms; condition described as excellent and altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Fayetteville Historic District |
| Coordinates | 29.90417, -96.67704 (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 83003139.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85817008
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.