Nissen Building (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
At 314 West Fourth Street in Winston-Salem, a one-story addition built in 1969 abuts the west wall of the 18-story Nissen Building, which dates to 1926. The addition measures about seventy-seven by eighty-five feet, with a flat roof, painted brick veneer over concrete walls, and aluminum-frame storefronts with green canvas awnings facing Fourth Street. A doorway links it to the Nissen elevator lobby at the building's southwest corner. When the Nissen Building was listed in 1983, the addition was left out because of a resource counting error and an incorrect boundary assessment. Because the two structures are interconnected and share common ownership, the addition was treated as an integral part of the listed building. The 2004 boundary increase corrected the record by adding the addition and its lot, parcel 001N of Block 0078, to the property. Its low scale and placement against a side wall mean it does not significantly affect the integrity of the older tower.
Significance in brief: The original 1983 listing mistakenly left out the addition because of a resource counting error and an incorrect boundary assessment. The addition is physically connected to the Nissen Building and is under common ownership, so it should have been part of the listed property. Its low scale does not significantly affect the historic integrity of the taller building.
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 04000907, listed August 25, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 314 W. Fourth St., Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | August 25, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000907 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The interior connection to the Nissen Building's elevator lobby remains today; the addition is under common ownership with the main building. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Winston-Salem Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.09760, -80.24771 (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 04000907.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14708102
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.