Richlands Historic District
Why it's listed
Richlands, in western Tazewell County, Virginia, was planned in 1888 by the Clinch Valley Coal and Iron Company in anticipation of the Norfolk and Western Railroad's arrival the next year. Its historic district covers roughly nineteen blocks of the town center and includes 91 contributing and 15 noncontributing buildings. About 55 percent of the district is residential and 45 percent commercial, and it includes three churches. Two-story brick commercial buildings line Front and Second streets and Suffolk Avenue, with a few early examples featuring cast iron or rock-faced stone. North of the commercial core are modest houses ranging from Late Victorian to Bungalow, Foursquare, Colonial Revival and Cape Cod types. A railroad section house from about 1889 also survives. The district is significant for its architecture and for the town's planning and commerce between about 1889 and 1956. A nearby brick factory and the rail line helped a remote boom town build in fashionable styles.
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) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | c. 1889-1956 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Late Victorian; Colonial Revival and Gothic Revival; Bungalow/Craftsman; Commercial Style |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Architecture |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Richlands Historic District (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.