Zevely House
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Why it's listed
Built about 1815 for Van Zevely, a Moravian cabinetmaker, this two-story brick house is typical of German-influenced Moravian building in North Carolina. It is three bays wide and two deep, with Flemish bond brick walls, a high stuccoed stone foundation, a wood-shingled gable roof and interior end chimneys. Inside, a restored "Quaker" plan places a large room on one side and two smaller rooms on the other, with a hand-hewn summer beam exposed on both floors. Zevely had come to Salem as a boy, trained as a cabinetmaker and bought a 160-acre plantation in 1815. The house is thought to be the oldest structure in Winston. In 1974 it was moved about a mile from Oak Street, where it was endangered and decaying, to West Fourth Street. The main block was restored, and a conjectural front porch and rear kitchen wing were added. It now operates as a restaurant in the West End neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a sturdy, unpretentious example of the plain design and careful craftsmanship of early German settlers in the Salem area. It is thought to be the oldest structure in Winston. The relocation and restoration are described as having a minimal adverse effect on its integrity and as ensuring its preservation and continued use.
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 73001341, listed April 24, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 734 Oak St., Winston-Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | April 24, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001341 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Van N. Zevely (original owner and builder of the house) |
| Architectural style | German-influenced North Carolina Moravian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved in 1974, restored, furnished with antiques and operating as a restaurant; condition listed as excellent. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | West End Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.09712, -80.25705 (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 73001341.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18559384
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.