Built in 1883 for Theodore Columbus Franklin (1853-1904), the Franklin-Penland House is an intact two-story frame I-house attributed to local carpenter William MacLamore. One of three brothers from a prominent local family to settle in the Linville Falls area, Theodore Franklin was a partner in the family business operating a large sawmill. The Franklin family, whose land holdings included the scenic waterfall on the Linville River from which the community gets its name, began offering tourist accommodations for travelers visiting the area. The house sold to Stokes and Laura Penland in 1901, who continued to operate the property as an inn and constructed the first post office in 1907. For nearly twenty years, the Penland House inn and Linville Falls Post Office served as a central gathering place for residents and visitors in the Linville Falls community. - NRHP, 28 November 2006