Venable Tobacco Company Warehouse
Why it's listed
Rising close to South Roxboro Street at the edge of Durham's downtown, this brick warehouse at 302-304 E. Pettigrew St. was built in 1905 for tobacco storage and inspection, with a third unit added in the 1910s. Its heavy timber frame, thick brick walls, tin-clad shutters and doors, and flat-topped parapets follow the slow burn method used for tobacco warehouses of the period. The Durham Tobacco Storage and Inspection Co. built it, and the related Venable Tobacco Co. occupied it. Both were branches of Dibrell Brothers, a Danville, Virginia, leaf broker that followed the tobacco industry southward. Around 1920 local tobacconists Clinton W. Toms and James S. Cobb took control of the Durham operation in partnership with the parent company. Most of the surrounding industrial buildings have been demolished, and this is the only intact survivor of two remaining independent warehouses of its kind in central Durham. It is still used for tobacco, and it was listed for its link to the city's tobacco trade and its well-preserved design.
Significance in brief: It is one of only two remaining independent tobacco warehouses from central Durham's late nineteenth and early twentieth-century boom, and the only one that survives intact. It reflects the strength of Durham's tobacco industry and the standing of its parent firm, Dibrell Brothers of Danville, Virginia, as an independent leaf broker. It is also a well-preserved example of slow burn construction.
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 85001847, listed August 9, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 302--304 E. Pettigrew St., Durham |
|---|---|
| County | Durham County |
| Listed | August 9, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001847 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-1999 (specific dates 1905/1910s) |
| Architect / builder | unknown (built by the Durham Tobacco Storage and Inspection Co.) |
| Architectural style | Slow burn construction with heavy timber supports and solid brick walls; plain industrial design |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in use as a tobacco warehouse, occupied by a branch of its builder's parent company; condition listed as good and unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.99215, -78.89978 (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 85001847.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20745523
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.