{"nrhp_refnum":"05000479","name":"Preston House","other_names":["John Cole House","Johns(t)on House","DHR file # 129-5018"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1936 W. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Salem (Independent City)","county":"Salem","state":"VA","lat":37.28950100600008,"lon":-80.09062343699998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-05-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, five-bay Federal-style brick house at 1936 West Main Street on the west edge of Salem, Virginia, thought to have been built around 1821-1822 with a rear ell enlarged in the mid-20th century.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is a fine example of Federal-style architecture that is also typical of western Valley of Virginia houses. It may be the earliest known surviving brick building in Roanoke County and is among the earliest brick buildings south or west of Fincastle. It qualifies under Criterion C for architecture.","narrative":"Set back from West Main Street at the western edge of Salem, this two-story brick house has five bays, a single-room depth and a central passage plan. It is thought to date to about 1821, though local tradition once placed it before 1790. Flemish bond brickwork, gauged brick arches over openings, corbelled mouse-tooth cornices and exterior end chimneys mark its construction. Inside are paneled wainscoting, carved mantels, pine floors and a stone-lined basement with hewn oak beams. A rear ell, originally one and a half stories, was enlarged in the mid-20th century with the original chimney and hearth kept. Its builder is unknown. Ownership passed from John Cole to the Johnson family and then, in 1879, to the Preston family. The house is considered significant for architecture. It may be the earliest known surviving brick building in Roanoke County and one of the earliest south or west of Fincastle. It combines Federal-style detail with traits typical of Valley of Virginia houses.","period_of_significance":"c. 1821-1955","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Federal Style","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Described as occupied and in good condition, though it has lost its secondary structures and rural setting; it is buffered by vacant lots on either side.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:02.705936-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/48/6835/41683548/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/05000479.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000479/29fb14deb9-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000479/29fb14deb9-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Cdenas","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PrestonHouse.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Cdenas</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PrestonHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41683548","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston_House_(Salem,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16898831"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/salem/preston-house-05000479/"}