Willard C. Northup designed Salem Town Hall in 1912. Designed by architect Willard C. Northup and built in 1912, this is a two-story brick building detailed with stone, cement and wood trim. Immediately beside you the three-story corner bell tower cuts a proud silhouette, a vertical punctuation to the Italianate and local Moravian design elements that give the facade its distinctive character.
Imagine the building’s first life: it housed the Salem town offices until the consolidation with the town of Winston in 1913. In 1926 the offices moved to the newly built Winston-Salem City Hall, and this structure found a working second act as a fire station that continued into the mid-1970s. Later it was thoughtfully renovated into offices, and its civic importance was recognized when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Stand close and feel the weight of the brick and the careful trim under your hand, and notice how the bell tower anchors the corner like a local landmark. Picture that three-story corner bell tower anchoring the block, brick, stone and wood trim meeting at its base.