Chatham Historic District

Chatham's historic district occupies about 95 acres at the center of the Pittsylvania County seat in Southside Virginia, stretching along Main Street, once the Pittsylvania-Lynchburg Turnpike. The town was laid out in 1807 as Competition after a dispute over the courthouse site and renamed Chatham in 1852. The 1853 Greek Revival courthouse, designed by L.A. Shumaker and topped with an Italianate cupola, anchors the district. Brick commercial buildings line Main Street on both sides, many with original storefronts, while churches, schools and homes extend north and south. Growth accelerated after the Virginia Midland Railroad arrived in the 1870s, and nearly half of the primary buildings date from the decades after the Civil War. Styles range from Federal and Greek Revival to Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Craftsman. Of 245 resources, 191 contribute to the district's character, which is why it was recognized for its architecture, commerce and local government history between 1807 and 1950.