Salem Town Hall
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 on the southeast corner of South Liberty and Cemetery Streets in Salem, the two-story brick Town Hall was designed by Willard C. Northup and constructed by Fogle Brothers. Its three-story corner bell tower, brick quoins and round-arched Moravian-style doorways combine Italianate and local Moravian design. The building was completed just before Salem merged with Winston in 1913 and served as a town office, jail and fire station. Its site was acquired after the Southbound Railroad took the earlier town hall property. The fire station operated there until the mid 1970s, and the shed on the south side was later bricked in during the 1940s polio epidemic to house an iron lung. The building is regarded as the last surviving town hall of Salem and an example of Northup's early work and of the Fogle Brothers' construction. It is being rehabilitated for office and commercial use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is the last of Salem's town halls to remain standing and marks the final years of Salem as a separate town before consolidation with Winston in 1913. It is presented as a distinctive example of early 20th century eclecticism combining Italianate and local Moravian influences, and as representative of Northup's early work and of the Fogle Brothers firm. It also served for over half a century as one of Winston-Salem's important fire stations.
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 83001882, listed March 17, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 301 S. Liberty St., Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | March 17, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001882 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1912-1913 |
| Architect / builder | Willard C. Northup (architect); Fogle Brothers (builder) |
| Architectural style | Eclectic, combining Italianate and local Moravian influences |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The document states the building is being rehabilitated for office and commercial use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Old Salem Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.09190, -80.24355 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 83001882.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18706186
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.