Tobacco buildings listed
Perten’s DA 7440 pictured in the primary department
Two former R.J. Reynolds Tobacco buildings near its Whitaker Park complex have been named in the US’ National Register of Historic Places, according to a story by Richard Craver for the Winston-Salem Journal.
The three-story buildings, which are known as 2-1 and 2-2 and which are located at 951 Reynolds Boulevard, were built in 1937 and 1953 respectively.
Also included in the register are the Southern Railway spur-line trestle, an office building and a boiler and pump house, all built in 1922.
Building 2-1 was used for stemming and redrying, while 2-2 provided for additional and more-advanced redrying equipment. The stemming process was automated in 1953, leading to a sharp reduction of employment in the buildings.
The importance of the buildings was reduced following the 1961 opening of the $32 million (the equivalent of $265 million today) Whitaker Park manufacturing facility to accommodate growth of Reynolds’ new filtered cigarette brands Salem and Winston.
Neither building is in current use. They are owned by Whitaker Park Development Authority, a non-profit group that took ownership of the site in January.
Craver’s story is at: http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/reynolds-leaf-buildings-gain-listing-on-national-historic-register/article_7a6509b2-0794-50ee-aada-0b7b6252c10a.html.