Virginia-Highland Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Why it's listed
Virginia-Highland is a densely built neighborhood northeast of downtown Atlanta, developed between 1889 and 1955 and covering more than 600 acres. Its growth began with the Nine-Mile Circle trolley line, and street patterns still show the trolley's influence, from grid layouts near the tracks to curving streets in North Boulevard Park and Orme Park. Most buildings are Craftsman bungalows, English cottages and Foursquare houses, with apartment buildings from 1917 to 1935. Small brick commercial blocks cluster along Highland Avenue, and the district also includes the 1923 Samuel Inman School, churches, and Orme Park with its Elkmont Street Bridge. Several buildings were designed by Atlanta architects including Leila Ross Wilburn. The district was recognized for its intact commercial buildings serving residents, its example of a streetcar suburb that became an automobile suburb, its range of early twentieth-century architecture, and its well-preserved suburban landscape, including dogwoods planted along streets in the 1930s.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be significant under Criterion A for commerce and for community planning and development, as an intact Atlanta suburb that began as a streetcar suburb and grew into an automobile suburb. Under Criterion C it is significant for architecture and landscape architecture, with intact residential, commercial and community buildings, some by Atlanta architects, and a well-preserved suburban landscape.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05000402, listed May 10, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Amsterdam Ave., Rosedale Rd., Ponce de Leon Ave., and the Norfolk Southern Railroad, Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | May 10, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000402 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1889-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Atlanta architects A. Ten Eyck Brown, Geoffrey Lloyd Preacher, Owens James Southwell, and Leila Ross Wilburn designed a number of buildings |
| Architectural style | Craftsman/Bungalow, English Vernacular Revival, Colonial Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Neoclassical Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, American Foursquare, American Small House |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as a highly intact neighborhood that remains largely residential, with historic commercial buildings still housing neighborhood businesses. |
| Acreage | 612 |
| Coordinates | 33.78191, -84.35585 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05000402.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2989183
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.