Petersburg Old Town Historic District (Additional Documentation)

Old Town is the earliest section of Petersburg, Virginia, laid out along the fall line of the Appomattox River. The district covers about 190 acres and more than 250 buildings, mixing homes, shops, warehouses and factories from the late 18th through 20th centuries. Styles range from late Georgian and Federal to Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire and Queen Anne. Highlights include early 19th-century worker cottages, the High Street houses, the Greek Revival Exchange Building of 1840-41, and railroad-era depots and warehouses. Its importance comes from both architecture and history: the area grew around Fort Henry and the Peter Jones trading post, became a leading tobacco and milling center by the 1760s, and by 1860 was served by four railroads and a canal. Demolition and neglect have left gaps in the streetscape, but historic zoning since 1973 and rehabilitation along High and Old streets have supported renewal.