{"nrhp_refnum":"98000727","name":"Goler Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church","other_names":["Old Goler"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"630 Patterson Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Winston-Salem","county":"Forsyth County","state":"NC","lat":36.10243259300006,"lon":-80.24144527099998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1998-06-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Black","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A late Gothic Revival brick church at the northeast corner of Patterson Avenue and East Seventh Street in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, erected in 1918-1919 for an African-American congregation. It has a gable-front sanctuary flanked by two corner towers and a two-story rear annex added in 1946.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is one of the principal African-American architectural monuments in Winston-Salem and the only remaining brick Gothic Revival church built originally for an African-American congregation in the city. It is also presented as representing the growth of the Depot Street neighborhood and the community life of its congregation since 1881. The building is described as a little-changed example of Gothic Revival church architecture.","narrative":"Brick church at the northeast corner of Patterson Avenue and East Seventh Street in Winston-Salem, erected in 1918-1919 for a congregation organized in 1881 as Winston Tabernacle AME Church. Its gable-front facade has two square corner towers, pointed-arch doorways with cast stone framing, buttresses, and stained glass windows, and it is regarded as a well-preserved example of the late Gothic Revival style. A fire in 1941 destroyed the principal tower and the upper walls and roof, and the building was rebuilt in 1946 with a two-story rear annex. The church is considered the most prominent surviving building of the Depot Street neighborhood, which was a centre of African-American life in the city for much of the twentieth century. Its significance rests on its architectural distinction and its role in the social, economic and political life of the community. Today it houses a soup kitchen and a children's evening meal program in its basement Fellowship Hall.","period_of_significance":"1918-1948","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Late Gothic Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Rebuilt after a 1941 fire; the upper tower and gable were restored in 1946 and the congregation has remained in the building, with ongoing community outreach programs.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:42.672708-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/37/7178/47717837/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/98000727.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000727/8aef360667-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000727/8aef360667-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Susan Sharpless Smith","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Groler_Memorial_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Zion_Church.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Susan Sharpless Smith</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Groler_Memorial_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Zion_Church.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47717837","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goler_Memorial_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Zion_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5580471"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/forsyth-county/goler-memorial-african-methodist-episcopal-zion-church-98000727/"}