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Winston-Salem then vs. now

We dug through the city’s archived photos and postcards to see how much the Twin City has changed.

WStoday: Phoenix Hotel in Winston-Salem in 1895

The Phoenix Hotel was built in 1893 and located on the southwest corner of West Fourth and North Liberty streets but was later demolished in 1928.

Photo by Digital Forsyth

Have you ever wondered what our city used to look like? If you’re curious to know the shift that’s taken place in the Twin City, here are four places downtown that have evolved.

Let’s take a look at North Main Street. The street was filled with businesses and merchants throughout the corridor. Today, it’s lined with commercial buildings including the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel, which used to be the former RJ Reynolds headquarters.

WStoday: 400 block of N. Main St. looking north towards Fifth, Winston-Salem

400 block of N. Main St. looking north towards 5th Street from 1958 (left) and 2022 (right).

Photos by Digital Forsyth (left), Google screenshot (right) by Hellen Schmeal.

A block of buildings on Liberty, 5th and Trade streets were demolished to build the transit center in 1995. It’s now known as the Clark Campbell Transportation Center.

City officials ordered Trade Street to close for a downtown mall in 1970. Although it’s not quite a mall today, Trade Street is still full of shops, galleries, and restaurants for residents and visitors to eat, shop, and play.

WStoday: North Trade Street evolution

North Trade Street mall

Photo by Digital Forsyth (left), photo by WStoday (right)

One of First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem building opened in 1901 and was used for Sunday school. Today, the Forsyth County Detention Center is on the same grounds. It opened in 1995.

WStoday: Forsyth County detention center before and after

You can see carriages coasted along the street which was made for people to get around.

Photo by Digital Forsyth (left), photo by WStoday (right)

Got any photos or memories of what the Twin City looked like in the past? Drop us a note and we may feature it in a future newsletter.

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