{"nrhp_refnum":"92000343","name":"Folly Castle Historic District (Boundary Increase)","other_names":["DHR File No. 123-96","See Also:Strawberry Hill","Second Presbyte"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"235--618 Washington, 235--580 Hinton, 15--37 Guarantee, 18--115 Lafayette and 18--42 Perry Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Petersburg (Independent City)","county":"Petersburg","state":"VA","lat":37.22697945950006,"lon":-77.41040227831229,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1992-04-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A residential historic district on the west side of downtown Petersburg, Virginia, centered on West Washington Street, expanding an existing district listed in 1980. It contains buildings dating from 1763 to 1928.","why_significant":"The district is significant in local architecture for its cross-section of middle-class housing types, from single-family houses to workers' double houses, and for styles ranging from Georgian to Neo-Classical Revival. It is also significant in local military history because several buildings served roles in the Civil War, including the McIlwaine-Friend House, used as headquarters by Confederate Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett in 1863-64. It is further tied to Petersburg's antebellum industry and commerce and its postwar rebirth.","narrative":"About five blocks of a residential neighborhood west of downtown Petersburg, Virginia, make up this expanded historic district, centered on West Washington Street. It includes roughly seventy-three houses and contributing outbuildings, along with two churches, a former high school and a former store. Buildings date from 1763 to 1928 and show a wide range of styles, from the Georgian Folly Castle, altered in the Italianate manner in 1874, to Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Neo-Classical Revival designs. Housing ranges from grand mansions to modest workers' homes, and period fences, tiled walks and granite curbs survive. The district was recognized for its local architectural variety and for its Civil War connections; the McIlwaine-Friend House served as Confederate General George Pickett's headquarters in 1863-64. Its development was also tied to Petersburg's antebellum industry and commerce and its recovery after the war. Some buildings are abandoned or badly deteriorated, and a few important ones have been lost.","period_of_significance":"1763 - 1928","architect_builder":"Black, B. J.; Pryor, Theodorick; Waite, Harrison","architectural_style":"Federal, Georgian, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Neo-Classical Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Some buildings are abandoned or in extreme disrepair, and several have been demolished. The former Petersburg High School and a former store on Lafayette Street are abandoned. Four modern buildings are noncontributing.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.624265-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/6/6825/41682506/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/92000343.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000343/9ec48014e3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000343/9ec48014e3-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"Smallbones, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FollyCastlePetersburg.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682506","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folly_Castle_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16837250"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/petersburg/folly-castle-historic-district-boundary-increase-92000343/"}