Reidsville Historic District
Also known as: See Also:Reid, Governor David S., House; Penn House
Why it's listed
Reidsville's historic district covers about 140 acres in the north central part of the city. It takes in the downtown business blocks, an industrial area to the east and northeast, and residential streets to the west and southeast. The town was little more than a stagecoach stop until the Piedmont Railroad arrived in 1863, and the railroad and the tobacco trade drove its growth afterward. Of the 419 buildings, 324 contribute to the district's character. Early Italianate houses and brick commercial blocks from the 1880s give way to Queen Anne dwellings, classical revival homes and churches, and Craftsman bungalows. Notable buildings include Melrose, a 1909 Neo-Classical Revival house, the 1926 Municipal Building, and a mid-1930s Art Deco post office. The surviving tobacco factory and leaf houses recall the industry that built the town. The district is considered significant for this range of buildings from roughly 1865 to 1941.
Significance in brief: The district shows Reidsville's growth as a railroad and tobacco trade center after the Piedmont Railroad arrived in 1863. It holds a full range of commercial, industrial, residential, religious and governmental buildings in Italianate, Queen Anne, classical revival, Craftsman, Art Deco and other styles. These reflect the forces that shaped the town during its period of significance.
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 86003391, listed March 12, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by W. Morehead, Southern Railway tracks, Lawson Ave., Main, Piedmontg, Vance and Lindsey Sts., Reidsville |
|---|---|
| County | Rockingham County |
| Listed | March 12, 1987 |
| Reference number | 86003391 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | roughly 1865-1941 |
| Architect / builder | Harry Barton (Municipal Building); Richard Gambier (Melrose); Willard Northup (R. L. Watt House) |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Queen Anne, Classical Revival, Neo-Classical Revival, Georgian Revival, Craftsman bungalow, Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Transportation, Exploration/Settlement, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked excellent, good and fair, with buildings both altered and unaltered. Of 419 buildings, 324 contribute and 95 do not. |
| Acreage | 140 |
| Coordinates | 36.35208, -79.66620 (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 86003391.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20713462
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.