{"nrhp_refnum":"04000851","name":"Broad Street Commercial Historic District (Boundary Increase)","other_names":["VDHR File # 127-0375"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"709-916 W. Broad St., 308-310 N. Laurel St., 301-306 Gilmer St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Richmond (Independent City)","county":"Richmond (city and county)","state":"VA","lat":37.55043419650008,"lon":-77.44938595825097,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-08-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A discontiguous boundary increase to the Broad Street Commercial Historic District in Richmond, Virginia, covering 32 contributing brick commercial buildings along the 700-900 blocks of West Broad Street plus parts of N. Laurel and Gilmer Streets, built between 1880 and 1943.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the area continues the architectural and historical character of the 1987 Broad Street district. Under Criterion A it represents important periods of Richmond's commercial and economic development, driven by the Carver Ward and the 1907 railway station. Under Criterion C it holds a cohesive group of late 19th and early 20th century commercial buildings in several styles.","narrative":"This stretch of West Broad Street in Richmond, with adjoining parts of North Laurel and Gilmer Streets, holds 32 brick commercial buildings erected between 1880 and 1943. It lies just west of an earlier historic district and matches it in scale, materials and style. Italianate design dominates, with examples of Classical Revival, Gothic Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Beaux Arts and Art Deco. Development came in two phases: the north side was built out by about 1889 alongside the Carver Ward, mixing shops with upper-floor housing, while the south side filled in between about 1912 and 1930 for commercial uses. The 1907 Richmond & Chesapeake Bay Railway Station, designed by William C. Noland and Henry Baskervill and built by W.A. Chesterman, spurred that growth. Early tenants included tire dealers, a drug company, caterers, a blacksmith and auto repair shops. The area was listed for its role in Richmond's commercial history and its cohesive architecture.","period_of_significance":"1881-1943","architect_builder":"William C. Noland; Henry Baskervill; W.A. Chesterman","architectural_style":"Late Victorian: Italianate; Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival, Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival, Late Gothic Revival, Beaux Arts Classicism; Commercial style; Modern Movement: Art Deco","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Current functions listed include specialty stores, businesses, restaurants and manufacturing, plus some vacant, not-in-use space. Many street-level storefronts have been modernized, though upper floors largely retain original character.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:02.735958-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/3/6832/41683203/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/04000851.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04000851/bbfd02b0b2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04000851/bbfd02b0b2-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Jeff Auth at English Wikipedia","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VCU_East_on_Broad_by_Jeff_Auth.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jeff Auth at English Wikipedia</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VCU_East_on_Broad_by_Jeff_Auth.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"71000982","name":"James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/james-river-and-kanawha-canal-historic-district-71000982/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41683203","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_Street_Commercial_Historic_District_(Richmond,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138909162"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/richmond/broad-street-commercial-historic-district-boundary-increase-04000851/"}