The Holly Avenue Historic district is bordered on the west by the West End Village and the new Ballpark and on the east by Sawtooth and AC Delco  Buildings which are currently being renovated as the new Downtown Center for the Arts. On the north the boundary is Fourth Street and on the south the boundary is Business 40.

Situated on steep hills on the west side of downtown Winston-Salem, the Holly Avenue neighborhood is sited on land once protected as a water source for the town of Salem. The neighborhood began to develop primarily in the early 20th century and today, it is the only downtown residential district that remains intact. Holly Avenue’s buildings comprise a collection of architectural styles and types that was not found in other downtown neighborhoods of the period.