National Register of Historic Places

Lentz Hotel

Mount Pleasant, Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Listed
June 13, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82003438

About this property

The Lentz Hotel, erected in 1853, is an historic site that is the oldest commercial building in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. It was moved in 1980 from its original site at the center of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina and restored. The board-and-batten exterior of the Lentz Hotel is supported by a timber frame of chestnut. The building reflects the "bracketed mode" of construction, made popular by American architect Andrew Jackson Downing (1815–1852). This "Carpenter Gothic" style includes brackets under especially wide eaves, vertical board-and-batten sheathing, and heavy lintels over the windows. The seven mantels and the staircase are of the Greek Revival tradition. The exterior siding is cypress, interior walls are pine, and the floors are made of heart pine planks. Built by W. R. Scott in 1853, he sold the property (then known as the Mt. Pleasant Hotel) to John Lentz in 1863 for $1,350 in Confederate currency. The Lentz family operated the hotel for over 60 years, spanning three generations. In 1911, the Lentzes built an outside set of stairs so the upstairs rooms could be used by the female students of Mont Ameona Seminary after the school burned (it was considered unseemly for girls to walk through the downstairs rooms where men could be present). The Lentz Hotel was the social center of Mt. Pleasant during the last quarter of the nineteenth century and the first part of the twentieth century. In fact, it was "famous for parties and social events". Much of the hotel's prosperity came from the town's dual role as a trading and educational center. In 1926, the Lentz family sold the hotel. Over the 20th century, the hotel changed hands several times. Used as a rental property, the Lentz hotel deteriorated. In 1980, the current owners made plans to demolish the hotel and build a new building. However, the Mt. Pleasant Insurance Company and local preservationists started exploring other options. With funding from the Historic Preservation Fund of North Carolina and the Daniel J. Stowe Foundation, the Lentz Hotel was moved to its current location on College Street in Mount Pleasant. After being moved, the Lentz Hotel was completely restored. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Location

Mount Pleasant, Cabarrus County, North Carolina
35.40285, -80.43704

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Mount Pleasant Collegiate Institute Historic District
Listed
0 mi
Mount Pleasant Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Listed
0.1 mi
First Congregational Church
Industrial
0.6 mi
Bost Mill Historic District
Industrial
6.4 mi
Isenhour, Daniel, House and Farm
Early Republic
7.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Stoneman's Raid — Concord NC
1865Civil War
8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lentz Hotel listed on the National Register?

Lentz Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Lentz Hotel?

Lentz Hotel is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Lentz Hotel?

The period of significance for Lentz Hotel is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Lentz Hotel?

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