Royal Baking Company
Also known as: NCSHPO file no. WA 2503
Why it's listed
Built in 1941 on Hillsborough Street across from Meredith College, this one-story brick bakery was designed by the W. E. Long Company of Chicago, specialists in bakery design, and built by Raleigh contractor James A. Davidson. Its front office block uses blond brick in horizontal bands and metal ribbon windows with International-style character. Behind it, steel bow trusses span the machinery floors, and a westward addition followed around 1946-47. The Royal Baking Company, founded in 1916 by Bartholomew Streb, moved its bread and roll production here from downtown and baked the well-known Bamby bread. The plant is tied to industrial growth on Raleigh's western edge during the 1930s and 1940s, when firms sought less crowded sites near the Southern Railroad. After the Streb family sold the business in the mid-1950s, national bakery chains ran it until baking ended in 1985. The plant is now stripped of machinery, and rehabilitation as retail shops is planned.
Significance in brief: The plant is argued to be significant under Criterion A in the area of industry. It reflects Raleigh's industrial expansion after the Great Depression and the move of industrial construction from the urban core to arteries such as Hillsborough Street. It housed the Royal Baking Company's bread operations, including the "Bamby" brand.
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 97001593, listed December 30, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3801 Hillsborough St., Raleigh |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | December 30, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001593 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1941-1947 |
| Architect / builder | Long, W. E., Company (architect); Davidson, James A. (builder) |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: Art Deco/International Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Baking ceased in 1985 and the building served as a warehouse and distribution center until 1996. All machinery has been removed. The new owner plans to rehabilitate it as retail shops. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Coordinates | 35.79401, -78.68816 (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 97001593.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23020379
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.