Carolina Coach Garage and Shop
Why it's listed
Built in 1926 at 510 East Davie Street in Raleigh, this brick garage and repair shop served the Carolina Coach Company, which had been incorporated in the city in 1925. The building cost $100,000 and housed buses, repair work and company headquarters until the company moved to a larger complex on South Blount Street in 1939. Its roughly 12,500-square-foot interior is open and unbroken by interior walls, spanned by steel I-beam posts and prefabricated roof trusses that rise about thirty feet at the apex. The stepped parapet, terra cotta coping and skylights mark its exterior. The building is linked to the growth of intercity bus service in North Carolina, especially the Trailways network Carolina Coach joined. Its open plan is regarded as an uncommon survivor among early Raleigh automotive buildings, and it retains a high degree of integrity of form, plan and materials.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant for its local association with intercity bus transportation, the Carolina Coach Company's operations in Raleigh from 1926 to 1939. It is described as one of two surviving Raleigh buildings tied to intercity busing and one of few surviving early automotive garages in the city with an open floor plan. Its unobstructed interior, supported by a clear-span truss system, is presented as its main character-defining feature.
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 09000661, listed August 27, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 510 E. Davie St., Raleigh |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | August 27, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000661 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1926-1939 |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Deteriorated in places; the roof is described as rotten and failing at the northwest corner. The building was vacant between 1939 and 1944 and later used for other purposes. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Within district | East Raleigh-South Park Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.77714, -78.63179 (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 09000661.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20708415
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.