Professional Building
Why it's listed
Rising eight stories at West Hargett and McDowell Streets in downtown Raleigh, this office building opened in December 1925 as one of the city's first fireproof steel-frame skyscrapers. Milburn, Heister & Co., with Yancey Milburn as designer, gave it a yellow brick shaft, white terracotta ornament, a broken-pedimented arched entrance, and a balustraded cornice. J.E. Beaman Construction Company built it. It faces Nash Square and was part of a 1920s building boom in a city then growing from a rural town into a state capital and business center. William Allen Erwin of Durham, a pioneer of the state's textile industry, and his wife owned it. Income from the building went into a trust that supported the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill. Offices were leased mainly to physicians, dentists and major corporations. The building is valued for its architecture, its connection to the Erwins, and its place in Raleigh's growth.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of the early fireproof steel-frame skyscrapers in Raleigh and North Carolina, and as a symbol of Raleigh's shift from a small rural town to a state capital and business center in the 1920s. It is tied to textile leader William Allen Erwin and to architect Yancey Milburn of Milburn, Heister & Co. It also shows Chicago School influence with Beaux Arts detailing.
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 83001925, listed September 8, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 123-127 W. Hargett and McDowell Sts., Raleigh |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | September 8, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001925 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | J.E. Beaman Const./Milburn & Heister, Archs. |
| Architectural style | Chicago-style office building with Beaux Arts terracotta ornamentation in Neo-classical themes |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition with minor alterations, and continuously occupied by office tenants; the form also lists its status as work in progress. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 35.77837, -78.64073 (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 83001925.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20639524
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.