Bahnson, Agnew Hunter, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1920 to designs by Winston-Salem architect Willard C. Northup, this two-story stuccoed house on the southwest corner of Fifth and Spring streets combines an English Cottage exterior with a green Ludowici-Celadon tile roof and an asymmetrical plan, including a long hipped south wing. Its interior follows the Colonial Revival style, with a notable main stair, plastered walls, and service areas in the basement and attic. The house was commissioned by Agnew Hunter Bahnson, who headed several textile concerns and developed the Fries Humidifier, which was later produced by the Bahnson Company for textile mills and other industries. Bahnson lived here until his retirement in 1951, and the house is regarded as the sole surviving grand residence of the millionaires' row on West Fifth Street. Its architectural design and its link to a prominent industrial figure are the main reasons for its listing. In 1973 the house was given to Forsyth County and has since served the public library.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be locally significant for its association with Agnew Hunter Bahnson, a textile industrialist and pioneer in humidification and air conditioning equipment, who lived there for nearly half a century. It is also significant as one of the few surviving grand houses along Fifth Street, known as millionaires' row, and as an example of Northup's English Cottage design with a modernized asymmetrical form.
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 01000375, listed April 12, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of W. Fifth and Spring Sts., Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | April 12, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000375 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1920-1951 |
| Architect / builder | Willard C. Northup (architect) |
| Architectural style | English Cottage; Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used by the Forsyth County Public Library since 1973, when the property was given to the county. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Winston-Salem Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.09854, -80.25304 (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 01000375.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460343
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.