Bull Durham Tobacco Factory
Also known as: W.T. Blackwell & Co. Tobacco Factory
Why it's listed
Bull Durham Tobacco Factory is a large Italianate brick building on Pettigrew Street in Durham, beside the Southern Railway tracks. Completed by 1875 for W. T. Blackwell and Company, it began as a U-shaped, four-story structure, and a rear addition after 1884 enclosed an interior courtyard. Windows have crossetted surrounds, the corners are quoined, and a wide bracketed metal cornice crowns the flat roof. Inside, wooden floors and posts are divided by brick fire walls. The plant was considered highly efficient, with separate floors for cutting, packing, labeling and storage. The firm grew from about a dozen employees in 1869 to roughly 900 in 1884, and its Durham Bull trademark became famous through national advertising led by Julian S. Carr. The building is listed as a leading monument to North Carolina's tobacco industry. James B. Duke's American Tobacco Company later took over the factory, producing Lucky Strike there from 1916. Some alterations have covered the facades, though the west half is largely unaltered.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Durham's most important landmark to the tobacco manufacturing that defined the city, and one of the most important monuments of the state's primary industry. It was built at the height of Bull Durham's success as a planned, functional factory with a stylish exterior. It also represents the firm's pioneering advertising and its later role under the American Tobacco Company.
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 74001346, listed September 10, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 201 W. Pettigrew St., Durham |
|---|---|
| County | Durham County |
| Listed | September 10, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001346 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | W. T. Blackwell and Company (builder/owner); bull designs by Jules Korner |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated December 22, 1977 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and altered. The east half lost its two upper stories, and the north and east facades are covered in corrugated aluminum. The east side houses American Tobacco Company offices and the west side is used for storage. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | American Tobacco Company Manufacturing Plant |
| Coordinates | 35.99402, -78.90417 (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 74001346.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7946004
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.