The Magnolia House, orginally built in 1889, is on the National Registry of Historic Places. The structure is now being restored and renovated by its current owners whose goal is to re-ignite interest in the history of the Magnolia House Motel as well to continue the rehabilitation of Gorrell Street, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Greensboro.

 

Historical Facts

• Segregation forced African-American travelers to eat and lodge in facilities separate from whites.
  
  
• One of the first hotels in Greensboro to accomodate African-Americans traveling in the area was the Magnolia House Motel, located at 442 Gorrell Street.
  
  
• The Motel opened in 1949 by property owners, Arthur and Louise Gist, who, after purchasing the hose, converted it into a 14-room motel.

• The Motel gained notoriety in the area and many famouse African-American entertainers, athletes, politicians and civil rights leaders lodged there. Among the celebrated guests were Carter G. Woodson, James Brown, James Baldwin, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ruth Brown and Ray Charles. In addition to its celebrity guests, the Motel also welcomed many visiting familis of students attending Bennett College and North Carolina A&T College.