Raleigh Electric Company Power House
Also known as: Carolina Power and Light Power House
Why it's listed
Built around 1910 on a site at West Jones and North West Streets in Raleigh, the Raleigh Electric Company Power House is a three-part, gable-front building of steel framing faced with common bond brick. Its two original two-story blocks housed a coal-fired steam plant that generated electricity for Raleigh's electric streetcars, which were first run in 1891, and supplemented supply during low water at hydropower sites. A 1930 one-story block replaced the original boiler room with a file storage building. The plant's coal bunker, trestle, cooling towers and car barn once formed a connected complex on the lot. Its significance rests on its role in supplying the city's electric power during Raleigh's early electrification and on its survival as a rare example of this kind of industrial plant. Much of the original generating machinery was removed, and the rear facade and interior have been altered for storage and offices.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is locally significant under Criterion A as a rare surviving example of an early twentieth-century industrial facility that supplied electric power to Raleigh. It is linked to the growth of the city's electric streetcar system and to the early spread of electric power and lighting. Its design and siting are presented as typical of steam plant practice of the period.
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 97001305, listed October 30, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 513--515 W. Jones St., Raleigh |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | October 30, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001305 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1910-1930 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a wiring and maintenance building; the power equipment was removed and the building converted to storage and office space. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.78247, -78.64646 (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 97001305.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q24041341
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.