National Historic Landmark

Bull Durham Tobacco Factory

Durham, Durham County, North Carolina
Listed
September 9, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74001346

About this property

W.T. Blackwell & Co. Tobacco was a tobacco manufacturer in Durham, North Carolina. It was best known as the original producer of Bull Durham Tobacco, the first nationally marketed brand of tobacco products in the United States. The Blackwell tobacco factory in Durham, built in 1874, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. It is included in the American Tobacco Company Manufacturing Plant historic district, and is now occupied by apartments. During the occupation of Durham by various military forces in the American Civil War, the quality of some of its tobacco was recognized. Former soldiers sought to acquire the tobacco produced by John Ruffin Green, who created the Bull Durham logo. Green in 1868 partnered with William T. Blackwell, who after Green's death formed a partnership with Julian S. Carr to continue producing and marketing the brand. The company experienced rapid growth, due in part to one of the nation's first nationwide advertising campaigns, which made the Bull Durham logo widely recognizable. The Bull Durham brand continued, through ownership changes, until 1988. The Blackwell factory, located at the corner of West Pettigrew and Blackwell Streets in Durham, was built in stages between 1874 and 1903. It is a four-story brick building, with commercial Italianate style. It has a central courtyard, and was, at 94,000 square feet (8,700 m2), once billed as the world's largest tobacco factory. The Bull Durham brand was manufactured at this facility until 1957, when its manufacture was transferred to a factory in Richmond, Virginia. List of National Historic Landmarks in North Carolina National Register of Historic Places listings in Durham County, North Carolina Blackwell's Durham Tobacco/American Tobacco Co., Open Durham

Location

201 W. Pettigrew St.
Durham, Durham County, North Carolina
35.99402, -78.90417

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

American Tobacco Company Manufacturing Plant
Civil War
0.1 mi
North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Downtown Durham Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Venable Tobacco Company Prizery and Receiving Room
Industrial
0.3 mi
Greystone
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bull Durham Tobacco Factory listed on the National Register?

Bull Durham Tobacco Factory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 9, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Bull Durham Tobacco Factory?

Bull Durham Tobacco Factory is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Bull Durham Tobacco Factory a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Bull Durham Tobacco Factory has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Bull Durham Tobacco Factory?

The period of significance for Bull Durham Tobacco Factory is recorded as the industrial era.

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