Atkins, S. G., House
Why it's listed
Dr. Simon Green Atkins built this two-story frame house at 346 Atkins Street in Winston-Salem around 1893. It was the first house in the Columbian Heights neighborhood. Atkins founded Slater Industrial Academy in 1892, later Winston-Salem State University, and served as its president until shortly before his death in 1934. He planned Columbian Heights so middle-class Black families could own homes instead of living in the overcrowded area traditionally assigned to the Black population, and so the struggling school could attract professional teachers. He was also involved in founding Columbian Heights High School and the Slater School Hospital, the first for Black residents of the city. The house is three bays wide, with a central gable, a hip-roofed porch, a bay window on the north side, six-over-six sash windows and a brick foundation. Rear additions were made, and a 1951 conversion to apartments removed most of the original interior fabric.
Significance in brief: It was the home of Simon Green Atkins, founder of Slater Industrial Academy (later Winston-Salem State University). It was the first house built in Columbian Heights, a community Atkins envisioned so middle-class Black residents could own homes and so the school could attract professional teachers. The form cites community planning and social/humanitarian significance.
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 79001704, listed July 22, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 346 Atkins St., Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | July 22, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001704 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Dr. Simon Green Atkins (builder, per the statement of significance) |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Black, Education, Social History |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied; converted to apartments in 1951 and still used as apartments at the time of the form, with the interior extensively remodeled. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.09243, -80.22888 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 79001704.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460307
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.