Downtown Portsmouth Historic District Explained

Downtown Portsmouth Historic District
Nrhp Type:hd
Nocat:yes
Designated Other1:Virginia Landmarks Register
Designated Other1 Date:September 11, 2002[1]
Designated Other1 Number:124-5063
Designated Other1 Num Position:bottom
Location:Roughly bounded by I-264, Middle St., Primrose St. and Queen St., Portsmouth, Virginia
Coordinates:36.8358°N -76.3053°W
Architect:Cassell, Charles; et al.
Architecture:Late Victorian, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals
Added:January 16, 2004
Refnum:03001485

Downtown Portsmouth Historic District, also known as the High Street Corridor Historic District, is a national historic district located at Portsmouth, Virginia. It encompasses 229 contributing buildings, 1 contributing site, 4 contributing structures, and 1 contributing object in the central business district of Portsmouth. The district encompasses the original 1752 plan of the Town of Portsmouth and includes portions of expansions of the original boundaries dating to 1763 and 1909. It includes a variety of commercial, government, and institutional buildings, with most dating to the years around the turn of the 20th century. Notable buildings include the Captain Baird House, Vermillion Manor (1840), City Hall Building (1878), former United States Post Office (1907-1908), First Presbyterian Church (1877), First United Methodist Churches (1882), St. James Episcopal Church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, YMCA building, Tidewater Building, Southern Aid Building, Colony Theater, Lyric Theater, Blumberg's Department Store, Mutual Drug Company (1946), the New Kirn Building, and the Professional Building. Separately listed are the Commodore Theatre, Portsmouth Courthouse, Pythian Castle, St. Paul's Catholic Church, and Trinity Episcopal Church[2]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Virginia Landmarks Register. Virginia Department of Historic Resources. 19 March 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053819/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm. 21 September 2013. dead.
  2. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Downtown Portsmouth Historic District . Kimble A. David . June 2002 . Virginia Department of Historic Resources . and Accompanying photo and Accompanying map