Shultz, Christian Thomas, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1830 by Christian Thomas Shultz, a fourth-generation member of a family that came to the Moravian-settled Wachovia tract in 1769, this two-story log house sits just outside Winston-Salem. It has a hall-and-parlor plan, a rubble-stone foundation, a pair of Flemish-bond brick chimneys and a pegged common-rafter attic framing system with purlins and braces. Around 1945 a rear ell, a front porch and German siding were added, but the changes followed the house's conservative character. A log smokehouse from the late 1860s, partly made from logs cut for a house that Shultz's son Junius never built before dying in the Civil War, stands nearby. The house stayed in the Shultz family until 1990. It is considered one of the best surviving rural log houses of its type in Forsyth County, reflecting lasting Germanic building traditions in the area.
Significance in brief: The house is judged locally significant under Criterion C as a well-preserved example of Germanic-influenced log construction in western Forsyth County. It keeps features such as an exposed summer beam and a pegged common-rafter roof with purlins and braces. Its Flemish-bond brick chimneys are rare on log houses in the county, and mid-1940s alterations followed traditional building habits.
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 05001413, listed December 16, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3960 Walnut Hills Dr., Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | December 16, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001413 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1830, late 1860s |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Hall-and-parlor plan log house |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well preserved and in good condition; the house is currently rented out and maintained, and the smokehouse has been restored. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 36.14199, -80.34399 (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 05001413.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q21016182
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.