Wake Forest Historic District
Why it's listed
Wake Forest Historic District covers roughly 246 acres at the heart of the town of Wake Forest, North Carolina. Its focus is the campus of Wake Forest College, founded in 1834 on the plantation of Dr. Calvin Jones. The campus holds large brick Colonial Revival and Classical Revival buildings put up between 1888 and the early 1950s, and it became the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1956. Around it stand faculty and staff houses along Main Street and nearby avenues, built from the late 1830s to 1946, when the college decided to move to Winston-Salem. Styles include Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival. Older landmarks include the Calvin Jones House, dating to about 1820, and the 1837 South Brick House, the only surviving original college building. The district also contains churches, school buildings and a WPA-built community house. It was recognized for its association with education and for its architecture, with a period of significance from about 1820 to 1953.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its role in education, as the home of Wake Forest College from 1834 until the college relocated in 1946, and for its architecture. It holds a wide range of styles, from Federal and Greek Revival houses to Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival buildings, plus the Colonial Revival campus.
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 03001301, listed December 18, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded by Oak St., RR tracks, Holding St., W. Vernon Ave., S. Wingate, N. Wingate, Durham Rd. and N. College Sts., Wake Forest |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | December 18, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03001301 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1820-1953 |
| Architect / builder | Architects: Barrett, Charles W.; Berry, John; Deitrick, W. H.; Frimmer, Frank; Keller, H. P. S.; McMichael, James M.; Wilson & Berryman. Builders: Kane, George W.; Hicks, Tom |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Tudor Revival, Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman, Other: I-House |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The campus has been the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary since 1956. Most historic buildings are described as retaining high architectural integrity, and the district is still used for housing, education, religion and commerce. |
| Acreage | 246 |
| Coordinates | 35.98241, -78.51078 (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 03001301.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q22061118
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.