Spruce Street YMCA
Why it's listed
Downtown Winston-Salem's former Spruce Street YMCA is a four-story brick building trimmed in limestone with Classic Revival detail, completed in 1927 from designs by local architect Harold Macklin, who consulted the national YMCA's Building Bureau. Separate Men's and Boys' entrances with Corinthian pilasters and arched openings face the street. Inside were social rooms with fireplaces, two gymnasiums, a basement swimming pool, a banquet hall and 116 dormitory rooms. Funded by about $425,000 in community gifts, including $50,000 from the R. J. Reynolds estate, it reflected the 1920s building boom fueled by tobacco and textile wealth. It was linked to civic leaders such as Thurmond Chatham and Charles M. Norfleet. The YMCA served men and boys here until 1976, when it moved to a new building. The structure represents a time when a downtown location was favored for attracting young men starting careers. It is now owned by the city and vacant, with deteriorated condition noted and a fire having damaged the lobby in 1984.
Significance in brief: The building is tied to the 1920s building boom in Winston-Salem, when tobacco and textile wealth financed civic and commercial construction. It is associated with prominent business and civic leaders who backed the YMCA. It is also the work of architect Harold Macklin and reflects an era when downtown YMCAs offered dormitories for young men entering business.
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 84002296, listed July 12, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 315 N. Spruce St., Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | July 12, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002296 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927 |
| Architect / builder | Harold Macklin, architect; Northeastern Construction Company of New York, builder |
| Architectural style | Classic Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant and owned by the City of Winston-Salem; the YMCA moved to a new West End building in 1976, and the lobby area burned in January 1984. The form lists the condition as deteriorated and altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Winston-Salem Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.09725, -80.24849 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 84002296.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q21016218
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.