Ludlow, Col. Jacob Lott, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1887 by the Winston building firm Fogle Brothers, this two-story frame house at 434 Summit Street sits on high ground in Winston-Salem's West End. Its Queen Anne-influenced design combines a simple rectangular block and hipped-and-gabled roof with a wrap-around porch, turned posts, sawnwork brackets and extensive stained glass. The original heating system used stoves in the basement and front parlor to send warm air through metal flues and registers. The house was built for Jacob Lott Ludlow, Winston's first city engineer, who designed water and sewer systems across North Carolina and the South, served twenty-five years on the State Board of Health, and led the push to merge Winston and Salem in 1913. The house reflects the late 19th century westward move of prominent residents and remains one of the best-preserved examples of the era's domestic architecture in the city. It was divided into apartments from 1956 to 1978 and later returned to single-family use.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the westward residential expansion of Winston in the late 19th century. It was the home of Jacob Lott Ludlow, Winston's first city engineer, who gained a national reputation in municipal, sanitary and hydraulic engineering. It is also one of the best-preserved Queen Anne-influenced houses in Winston-Salem and represents the work of Fogle Brothers.
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 83001879, listed March 17, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 434 Summit St., Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | March 17, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001879 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- (specific date 1887) |
| Architect / builder | Fogle Brothers |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Queen Anne style influence |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence in excellent condition, and undergoing a sympathetic rehabilitation for future use as a bed-and-breakfast inn. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | West End Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.09820, -80.25715 (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 83001879.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q19986870
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.