Penn House
Why it's listed
Set on a three-acre lot a few blocks south of downtown Reidsville, this complex centers on a two-and-a-half-story Colonial Revival house completed in early 1932 and designed by Danville, Virginia, architect Bryant Hurd. A full-height portico with six Corinthian columns dominates the facade, and the center hall and principal rooms have Neo-Federal woodwork. Stella Edrington Penn had it built after fire destroyed the earlier house, a blond brick Prairie-inspired residence from about 1910 built for her husband, Charles Ashby Penn. Nine outbuildings remain, including a garage with servants' apartment, dairy, smokehouse, gazebo and greenhouses, most designed to echo the first house. Charles Penn rose in the American Tobacco Company and was largely responsible for developing Lucky Strike cigarettes. The couple supported Annie Penn Hospital, churches and community institutions, and Stella Penn helped found the town's first library. The property reflects both the Penn family's role in Reidsville's development and changing early twentieth-century architectural taste.
Significance in brief: It is described as the largest and most elaborate Colonial Revival residence from the 1920-1940 period still standing in Reidsville, and the finest surviving house associated with the Penn family, prominent in the city's tobacco industry and civic life. Charles Ashby Penn helped develop the Lucky Strike brand, and Stella Edrington Penn continued the family's philanthropy. The outbuildings, designed to complement an earlier Prairie-inspired house, show the shift in architectural taste from the 1910s to the 1930s.
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 83003992, listed November 25, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 324 Maple Ave., Reidsville |
|---|---|
| County | Rockingham County |
| Listed | November 25, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003992 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Bryant Hurd, Danville, Va. (architect) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival (with Neo-Federal interior detail); outbuildings echo an earlier Prairie-inspired house |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Reidsville, which received it as a donation in 1980; the form lists work in progress and a proposed museum use, with future plans uncertain. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Within district | Reidsville Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.35753, -79.66900 (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 83003992.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987501
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.