Irvington

Irvington is a waterside village in southern Lancaster County, Virginia, spread across two peninsulas between Carters Creek, the Eastern Branch and the Rappahannock River. The historic district takes in the village proper, which is more commercial, and West Irvington, which holds most of the houses and a few seafood-related buildings. The oldest dwelling is Wilder's Grant, built about 1740. Most other buildings are wood-frame houses from the 1840s through the mid-20th century, showing Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and bungalow styles. Some houses were built from prefabricated materials made in Baltimore and shipped by steamboat. The community began as a steamboat wharf known as Carters Creek and was renamed Irvington in 1891. Roads were poor, so travel long depended on boats, and paved links to nearby towns came only in the early 20th century. The district is recognized for its maritime and community development history and for its architecture, with a period of significance from about 1740 to 1947.