O'Hanlon Building ~ 103 West 4th Street

The neoclassical O'Hanlon building was built in 1915 and designed by architect Willard C. Northup who was the principal partner in the firm Northup and O'Brien. It is an eight-story, steel frame building clad in brick and smooth-cream color terra-cotta classical ornament at both its base and top.  

The O'Hanlon building was built for pharmacist and philanthropist from Fayetteville, Edward W. O'Hanlon. It replaced an earlier building he had built in 1895 which burned in 1913. 

Sometimes called Winston-Salem's first skyscraper until being surpassed by an addition to 8 West Third Street in 1917 to regain it's title as "the tallest building" beating the O'Hanlon building. Sounds like a rivalry of "who has the tallest". 

The building's first floor housed O'Hanlon's Drugstore until 1962. The building is presently used for office condominiums. 

The building’s interior have had only minor changes over the years. The building displays the original Norfolk Iron and Wire works staircase. The two passenger elevators maintain their original brass doors as well as the building’s original mail chute.

The pharmacy was managed by his wife Nancy Critz after Mr. O'Hanlon's passing until finally closing its doors in 1961.

Today, The Mooney’s Mediterranean Café operates from the original first floor pharmacy space.

In 1984, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

* Interesting fact to know.  Nancy Critz O’Hanlon was a niece of R. J. Reynolds and one of four Critz sisters. All four sisters commissioned Charles Barton Keen, a prolific designer of suburban residences and designer of the Reynolda House (1912-1917) for Katharine and R. J. Reynolds, to build them their estates in Winston. 

*You have completed another "Talk" of Winston.

The best view of your next stop is right where you are standing since the street is busy here. The Pepper Building is located a cross the street at 

101 West Fourth Street.