Winston bydesign

From early 18th-century Moravian structures to textile and tobacco factories to iconic skyscrapers, WinstonSalem’s architecture tells a coming-of-age story.

By: Laura Lee

01. SINGLE BROTHERS HOUSE

Salem’s first institutional building is the largest half-timbered building in North Carolina. Boys 14 and up lived here to learn a trade and operate the onsite craft shops, distillery, brewery, and slaughterhouse. Now part of Old Salem Museums & Gardens, the house is open for tours. 600 S. Main St.

02. S.J. NISSEN BUILDING

Now a photography studio, the Nissen Building originally housed a wagon company to support the transport of tobacco. The brick building with crenellated towers and arched windows resembles a medieval Romanesque fortress. 310 E. Third St.

03. SAWTOOTH SCHOOL FOR VISUAL ART

This jagged sawtooth building once housed the Hanes Company’s hosiery and sock factory. In 1982, the mill was repurposed as creative classrooms, its north-facing skylights perfect for aspiring artists. 215 N. Spruce St.

04. THE HISTORIC MILLENNIUM CENTER

Originally constructed as a federal building that over the years housed a post office, courthouse, and jail, this classic Revival-style building is now a grand venue for weddings and special events. 600 S. Main St.

05. UNION STATION

The last train departed in 1970, but thanks to a massive renovation, Union Station has reopened as a multi-use office and event space. Once the city’s main station, the building was designed in a Beaux-Arts style with a grand limestone portico and Corinthian columns. 300 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr.

06. PEPPER BUILDING

The downtown Indigo Hotel occupies the former Pepper Building, an art-deco structure embodying the wealth of the Roaring 20s. Significant design elements include smooth terra-cotta, variegated brown and sandstone brickwork, and brick pilasters. 104 W. Fourth St.

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08. SHELL SERVICE STATION

This 18-foot shell-shaped service station was designed to get customers’ attention. It reflects the literalism in advertising at the time. Now privately owned, the building is the only shell shaped station remaining. 1111 E. Sprague St.

09. AFAS CENTER FOR THE ARTS

07. REYNOLDS BUILDING

The R.J. Reynolds Company hired New York firm Shreve and Lamb to design this 1929 skyscraper that reflected the company’s prominence. A year later, architects used Winston-Salem’s 22-story ziggurat design as their model for the 102-story Empire State Building. 51 E. Fourth St.