Roanoke Downtown Historic District

Downtown Roanoke's historic core covers 28 city blocks south of the railroad tracks, centered on South Jefferson Street and Campbell Avenue. The area developed rapidly after 1881, when the railroad chose Big Lick as a terminus; the town was renamed Roanoke in 1882 and became a city by 1884. Its streets hold banks, office towers, department stores, hotels, civic buildings and a Gothic Revival church, built from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. Early brick commercial blocks in Italianate and Victorian styles give way to Neoclassical banks, a Beaux-Arts post office and courthouse, a Colonial Revival hotel, and Moderne and Art Deco towers. Architects include Edward G. Frye, John K. Peebles, Wyatt and Nolting, and William Lee Stoddard. Of 145 resources, 100 contribute to the district's character. It is recognized for architecture, commerce and government, reflecting the city's prosperity as a transportation and commercial hub for Southwest Virginia.