Rogers, James Mitchell, House
Also known as: Rogers House
Why it's listed
Built between 1883 and 1885, this large two-story frame house at 102 S. Cherry Street in Winston-Salem was constructed by the Miller Brothers firm for hardware merchant James Mitchell Rogers. It once stood among many fine dwellings on Cherry Street and is now one of the few survivors, sitting on a knoll above the commercial core. The design mixes Gothic Revival gables with board and batten siding, Italianate bay windows and arched lintels, and the irregular massing of the Queen Anne style. Rogers headed Brown, Rogers and Company for over 40 years and served as the first president of the local Chamber of Commerce in 1885. His son Francis M. Rogers, raised in the house, became chief chemist at Standard Oil of Indiana and helped develop a cracking process for making gasoline. Family members lived here for nearly a century. After a 1979 sale, the house was renovated as law offices with few changes to its original layout.
Significance in brief: The house is one of the few surviving late nineteenth century homes along Cherry Street and a well-preserved example of Victorian eclecticism blending Gothic Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne influences. It is also tied to J. Mitchell Rogers, a leading hardware merchant and first president of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, and to his son Francis M. Rogers, a Standard Oil chemist involved in developing the gasoline cracking process.
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 82003453, listed July 15, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 102 S. Cherry St., Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | July 15, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003453 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific dates 1883-1885) |
| Architect / builder | Miller Brothers, contractors (J. S. and Gideon L. Miller); no architect known |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian eclectic: Gothic Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne influences |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Renovated in 1979 and in use as law offices; condition reported as excellent. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.09399, -80.24697 (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 82003453.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q21016133
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.