{"nrhp_refnum":"09000731","name":"West Franklin Street Historic District (Boundary Increase)","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"900 blk. West Grace St., 4000 blk. N. Harrison St., 300 blk. Shafer St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Richmond (Independent City)","county":"Richmond (city and county)","state":"VA","lat":37.55059126000003,"lon":-77.45233431333128,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2009-09-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A boundary increase to the West Franklin Street Historic District in Richmond, Virginia, covering the 900 block of West Grace Street, the 400 block of North Harrison Street and the 300 block of Shafer Street. It holds late 19th- and early 20th-century houses plus later commercial buildings.","why_significant":"The sixteen contributing buildings share the Late Victorian styles, massing, materials and setbacks of the original West Franklin Street district, and were part of the same fashionable neighborhood. The nomination argues significance under Criterion C for architecture. Commercial development after 1920 has not obscured the original architectural character.","narrative":"This boundary increase extends the West Franklin Street Historic District northward to one city block in Richmond, centered on the 900 block of West Grace Street and the adjoining blocks of North Harrison and Shafer Streets. The area began as part of a fashionable residential neighborhood, and sixteen of its twenty-six buildings still reflect that era. They are two- to four-story brick, brownstone, limestone and sandstone houses in Italianate, Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque and Tudor Revival modes, with two carriage houses. Several have storefront additions that fill their original setbacks. Ten later commercial buildings and a parking lot do not contribute. The addition was listed for its architecture, with a period of significance of 1870 to 1920. Its houses closely match the styles, materials and setbacks of the original district, and the pressure of commercial growth and the adjacent university has not erased that character.","period_of_significance":"1870-1920","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Late Victorian (Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque, Italianate), Tudor Revival, Moderne, Mixed","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"All contributing buildings are described as in good condition. Current uses are largely commercial, with some residential, restaurant, education and vacant uses.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:03.506823-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/9/6829/41682909/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/09000731.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000731/712dc13713-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000731/712dc13713-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"VCU Libraries","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Postcard_of_Temple_Beth_Ahaba.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">VCU Libraries</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Postcard_of_Temple_Beth_Ahaba.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/41682909","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Franklin_Street_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16903101"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/richmond/west-franklin-street-historic-district-boundary-increase-09000731/"}