Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Freight Depot
Why it's listed
Built in 1900 beside the tracks in Kinston, North Carolina, this brick freight depot measures 40 by 225 feet and follows the slight curve of the rail line. It has tan brick walls laid in common bond, a standing seam tin gable roof with a monitor, round-arched freight openings, and eleven freight bays along the northeast side. Inside, an open storage floor keeps most of its original pine planks, original metal freight scales, and an unusual exposed timber truss system. The railroad ordered the building after an examination found the old Kinston warehouses poor and too small for the freight moving through town. Construction was reported complete in 1901 at a cost of $6,844. It is considered significant as the last early building in Kinston linked to the railroads that supported the city's growth during its tobacco and textile expansion. Other buildings of the period have been lost or altered. The depot remained in railroad use into the 1980s and is now being rehabilitated for storage use by a local agency.
Significance in brief: It is an essentially intact example of a large brick turn-of-the-century railroad building and the last surviving early building in Kinston tied to the railroad network that drove the city's growth. It was built during Kinston's growth in tobacco and textiles, when a larger freight facility was needed. Most comparable industrial and commercial buildings of the period have been demolished or altered.
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 89001768, listed November 8, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E. Blount St. between N. Queen and N. McLewean Sts., Kinston |
|---|---|
| County | Lenoir County |
| Listed | November 8, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001768 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-1920 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Industrial Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Sub-let to a local government housing agency for storage of non-combustible materials and being rehabilitated; no longer used as a freight warehouse. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Kinston Commercial Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 35.26322, -77.57985 (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 89001768.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460310
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.