Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District (Boundary Increase)
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Downtown Harrisonburg's historic district covers about 100 acres around Main Street, Court Square and the Rockingham County Courthouse. The city was laid out as the county seat in 1779-80 beside Blacks Run, and the district holds its commercial and institutional core. Dense commercial blocks around the square date mainly from the 1870s to the 1950s. South Main and South Liberty streets are largely residential, though some houses now serve as offices. Industrial and warehouse buildings cluster at the north end and along Chesapeake Avenue, including the Rockingham Milling Company complex and the 1913 Chesapeake Western Railway Station. Other resources include the 1908 Classical Revival former high school, designed by Charles Morrison Robinson, and the early Thomas Harrison House, a limestone dwelling with a Methodist conference connection. Of 215 resources, 167 contribute to the district, which is recognized for the period 1779-1955 and for the range of building types and styles it preserves.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF). Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1779-1955 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Mixed styles including Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Romanesque, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Tudor Revival, Late Gothic Revival, Italian Renaissance, Craftsman, Moderne, International Style and Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Industry |
| Acreage | 1.13 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District (Boundary Increase) (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.