Downtown Greensboro Historic District
Also known as: Downtown Greensboro
.jpg){kind=link}
Why it's listed
Downtown Greensboro's historic district covers about 58 acres of the city's traditional commercial core, running along Elm Street with parts of South Davie, Washington and South Greene Streets. Most buildings date from 1885 to 1930, when rail connections turned Greensboro from a small village into a trading center. Elm Street replaced Market Street as the main commercial area, and merchants who grew prosperous built larger, more elaborate stores. The architecture is mostly a plain commercial version of the Italianate style, with brick cornices, granite trim and galvanized iron details. Later landmarks include the Jefferson Standard Building, the Carolina Theatre, the Kress and Woolworth buildings and two Southern Railway depots. The nomination values the continuous streetscape as much as these landmarks, calling Elm Street a rare survival. The district was also tied to the city's influential citizens, and the Woolworth building is associated with the 1960 sit-ins, a key event of the Civil Rights Movement.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is all that remains of the central business district that grew between 1885 and 1930, the city's most significant period of growth. It holds good examples of the commercial architecture popular then, from simple Italianate to Art Deco and Neo-Classical. It was also the city's main office and commercial center, tied to influential citizens, and the Woolworth building is linked to the 1960 sit-ins.
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 82003458, listed June 17, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Elm, S. Davie, S. Green, and E. and W. Washington Sts., Greensboro |
|---|---|
| County | Guilford County |
| Listed | June 17, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003458 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1885-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Various, see inventory sheets |
| Architectural style | Simplified commercial Italianate, with Art Deco, Neo-Classical, Romanesque, Spanish and Tudor examples |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture, Performing Arts |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked occupied and mostly commercial, with some office use; condition is listed as excellent, good and fair, and as both altered and unaltered. |
| Acreage | 58 |
| Coordinates | 36.07179, -79.79072 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 82003458.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19461392
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.