Statement of Significance (as of designation - December 22, 1977):
From 1874 to 1957, this factory was the home of Bull Durham Smoking Tobacco, the first truly national tobacco brand. At one time this building, where tobacco was manufactured, bagged and labeled, was considered the world's largest tobacco factory. W.T. Blackwell and Company introduced production, packaging, and marketing techniques that made Bull Durham a part of American industrial history and folklore.