Winston-Salem Southbound Railway Freight Warehouse and Office
Why it's listed
Completed in July 1913, this two-story brick building at 300 S. Liberty Street in Winston-Salem served as the freight warehouse and general offices of the Winston-Salem Southbound Railway. Wilmington architect Joseph F. Leitner designed it, and the New Bern firm Rhodes & Underwood built it. Italianate-influenced details include brick window surrounds, limestone sills and keystones, a shaped parapet, and long bracketed canopies over the loading doors on both sides. The railway, an eighty-nine-mile line to Wadesboro promoted by Francis H. and Henry E. Fries, connected the city to larger rail systems and aided its tobacco-driven growth. The building was altered in 1964, when street widening removed fourteen feet from one end, and was rehabilitated for offices in 1990, when a facade close to the original was restored. It is recognized as the only surviving railroad building in Winston-Salem built before 1925, and its significance is dated 1913 to 1941.
Significance in brief: The building is associated with the development of rail transportation in Winston-Salem, which supported the growth of local industry, especially tobacco, in the early twentieth century. It served as headquarters of the Winston-Salem Southbound Railway until 1985. The nomination states it is the only surviving railroad building in the city built before 1925.
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 91001747, listed November 29, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 300 S. Liberty St., Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | November 29, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001747 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1913-1941 |
| Architect / builder | Leitner, Joseph F. - Architect; Rhodes & Underwood - Contractor |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated for office use in 1990 and described as nearly fully occupied by a variety of business firms. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Within district | Old Salem Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.09190, -80.24410 (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 91001747.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18619379
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.