Madonna Acres Historic District
Why it's listed
Madonna Acres is a subdivision of forty houses laid out on Delany Drive and three short cul-de-sacs in east Raleigh, adjoining the St. Augustine's College campus. Platted in 1960 by developer John W. Winters on land once part of Bishop Henry Beard Delany's homeplace, it was built mostly between 1960 and 1965. Its brick Ranch and Split Level houses, many with picture windows, stone accents, integral carports and floor plans stepped into sloping lots, form a well-preserved group of modern residential design. The subdivision is regarded as the earliest in Raleigh developed by African Americans for African American homeowners, a notable achievement under segregation. Many original residents were educators, and a large share of the houses remain in the families of their first owners.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the subdivision was the earliest residential subdivision in Raleigh built by African Americans for African Americans, developed by John W. Winters during the Jim Crow era. It also contends the well-preserved Ranch and Split Level houses of modern design are a rare grouping in Raleigh's mid-twentieth-century subdivision architecture.
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 10000632, listed September 1, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Delany Dr, Dillon, Summerville, and Tierney Crcls, Raleigh |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | September 1, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000632 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1960-1965 |
| Architect / builder | Winters, John (builder); Miller, Jerry (architect); Richards, E. N. (Ed) (builder) |
| Architectural style | Ranch; Split Level; Contemporary |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Black, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The houses retain high integrity, with at least twelve still occupied by an original owner and most others by descendants of original owners. |
| Acreage | 13 |
| Coordinates | 35.79307, -78.61450 (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 10000632.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q25247598
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.