{"nrhp_refnum":"88000748","name":"Holland-de Witt Cottage (Additional Documentation and Name Change)","other_names":["de Witt Cottage","The Brick House","Witzand/Wittenzand","Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum","Vdhr # 134-0066","44vb0434"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1113 Atlantic Avenue","address_restricted":false,"city":"Virginia Beach (Independent City)","county":"Virginia Beach","state":"VA","lat":36.84053628400005,"lon":-75.97239774899998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-06-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Entertainment/Recreation","Architecture","Commerce","Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick oceanfront cottage at 1106 Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach, Virginia, built in 1895 as a year-round single-family residence for B. P. Holland.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is the sole surviving example of the oceanfront dwellings built in Virginia Beach's first development period (1883-1906). It is tied to the growth of oceanfront resorts (Criterion A) and retains high architectural integrity as an informal beach house (Criterion C). Surrounding early development has been replaced by high-rise hotels and condominiums.","narrative":"Built in 1895 on the Virginia Beach oceanfront, this two-story brick cottage was first occupied by B. P. Holland, an avid hunter who added a small open cupola as a lookout over the lakes behind the house. The L-shaped building has fourteen-inch-thick brick walls, a hip roof with dormers, a full basement and a one-story wood porch with modest Queen Anne brackets and columns. Inside, beaded pine paneling remains largely intact. The de Witt family bought the house in 1909 and lived there until January 1988, also taking in paying guests from about 1932 to 1970. Changes were limited to a 1917 second-floor addition over the kitchen wing, storm repairs and updated utilities. The nomination considers it the last surviving example of the early oceanfront dwellings built when Virginia Beach developed as a resort, now surrounded by high-rise hotels and condominiums. At listing it stood boarded up but structurally sound.","period_of_significance":"1895 - 1937","architect_builder":"Unknown","architectural_style":"Late Victorian: Queen Anne (primarily vernacular with secondary Queen Anne detailing)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Vacated in January 1988 and boarded up against vandalism; in fair but structurally sound condition, still owned by the de Witt family.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.124438-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/11/6840/41684011/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/88000748.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000748/068efbc428-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000748/068efbc428-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.0","author":"lori05871 from Rural Vermont, USA","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:De_Witt_Cottage_-_VA_Beach._(1434102875).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">lori05871 from Rural Vermont, USA</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:De_Witt_Cottage_-_VA_Beach._(1434102875).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41684011","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Witt_Cottage","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16829095"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/virginia-beach/holland-de-witt-cottage-additional-documentation-and-name-change-88000748/"}