Lafayette Residence Park

Lafayette Residence Park is a planned suburb on the north bank of the Lafayette River in Norfolk, Virginia. It was platted in 1902 as a high-class residential community, with winding streets described as French in method, small parks at awkward intersections, and a streetcar line along Lafayette Boulevard. Growth was slow at first, with about eleven buildings by 1908. A revised plat that year created smaller lots, and construction accelerated before and after the First World War as middle-class residents arrived. The earliest houses are large Queen Anne and Colonial Revival dwellings with wrap-around porches and bracketed detailing. Later blocks hold modest Colonial Revival houses, Craftsman bungalows, twin dwellings, apartment buildings and two churches, along with a former grammar school designed by Vance Hebard. About 284 buildings contribute to the district. It was listed for its concentration of both high-style and simpler architecture, and for a layout that has avoided commercial or industrial intrusion.