Nissen Building facts for kids
|
Nissen Building
|
|
 |
|
 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 310 W. Fourth St., Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Stoddart, William M. |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001880 (original) 04000907 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | March 17, 1983 |
| Boundary increase | August 25, 2004 |
The Nissen Building is a very tall building, known as a skyscraper, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It stands 283 feet (86 meters) high and has 18 stories. This impressive building was finished in 1927.
For a short time, from 1927 to 1929, the Nissen Building was the tallest building in all of North Carolina. It was later surpassed by another building in Winston-Salem, the Reynolds Building. The Nissen Building is important because it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 17, 1983. This means it's a special place recognized for its history and architecture.
The building's outside is made with strong materials. It has a steel frame for its structure. The walls are covered with light brown bricks and pre-cast concrete. You can also see beautiful details made from granite, marble, and limestone.
Building History
The Nissen Building was constructed between 1926 and 1927. It was built by W.M. Nissen, who owned the Nissen Wagon Works company. The building stands where a YMCA used to be.
The architect who designed the Nissen Building was William Lee Stoddart. He was from New York City and was famous for designing other buildings, like the Battery Park Hotel.
Early Features and Tenants
When the Nissen Building first opened, it had some interesting features. There was even a Bob-a-Link miniature golf course in the basement! This was a fun place for people to visit.
Many different offices moved into the building. Some of the first tenants included parts of the United States government, like the Civil Service Administration. The United States Air Force later became a major tenant, using a lot of space in the building.
A cool fact about the Nissen Building is that it was the very first building in the entire Southeast to have air conditioning. This was a big deal back then, making it a comfortable place to work and live.
Modern Changes and Apartments
Over the years, the Nissen Building has changed owners and purposes. In 1999, a bank called BB&T bought the building. They planned to use it for their offices.
However, in 2000, the bank sold the building to a company that wanted to turn it into apartments. This was a big project that cost a lot of money.
By 2005, the building was being transformed into 145 fancy apartments. The goal was to bring back the original look of the lobby, with its granite floor and brass elevator doors. They even added a swimming pool on the roof for the residents!
After all the work was done, the Nissen Building had a mix of spaces. It included about 14,000 square feet (1,300 square meters) for shops or businesses. It also had nearly 128,000 square feet (11,900 square meters) of space for people to live in.
