Southwest Historic District (Boundary Increase)
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Covering roughly 105 city blocks in Roanoke's southwest quadrant, this district holds 1,658 structures, most of them houses built between 1882 and 1930. Three neighborhoods make it up: Old Southwest, Mountain View and Hurt Park. Development began in the northwest, where Ferdinand Rorer laid out lots in 1882 and the West End Land Company later attracted Norfolk and Western Railway employees and officials. Large Queen Anne houses line Campbell and Patterson avenues, while three Shingle-style model homes on 2nd Street date from 1891. Most buildings went up between 1900 and 1910, including many square, hipped-roof vernacular dwellings and a number of Colonial Revival mansions. Mountain View, built in 1907 for banker Junius B. Fishburn and designed by H.H. Huggins, is a standout. Churches, a synagogue, Highland Park and two schools add variety. Only about ninety buildings are considered intrusions, so the area retains the look of an early 20th-century neighborhood.
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).
| Styles | Queen Anne, Shingle, Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival, Tudor Revival, Bungalow, American Foursquare, Second Empire, Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival |
|---|---|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Commerce, Ethnic Heritage-Black, Ethnic Heritage-Other-Ethnic |
| Acreage | 67.5 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Southwest Historic District (Boundary Increase) (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.