Scottsville Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: 298-0024
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Why it's listed
Scottsville's historic district follows the horseshoe bend of the James River in Albemarle County and climbs the town's hills and bluffs. An earlier 1976 listing covered 53 of the oldest or most significant buildings. This updated nomination adds historic buildings missed then, seven twentieth-century properties on Page Street, and six large estates around the town: Belle Haven, Cliffside, Chester, Oakwood, Mount Walla and Riverview. The inventory totals 215 resources, 153 of them contributing buildings. Styles range from the 1732 Fore House, with few stylistic details, through Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne to Colonial Revival and Craftsman. Scottsville served as a river landing and county seat, and the James River and Kanawha Canal opened through it in 1840. General Sheridan's forces burned much of the town in 1865. After the canal gave way to the railroad in the 1880s, a long economic lull helped preserve much of the district's character. The period of significance runs from 1732 to 1953.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is significant under Criteria A and C for architecture, transportation and commerce. It traces Scottsville's growth from a river landing and county seat through the James River and Kanawha Canal era. A long economic lull after the 1880s left much of its historic character intact.
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 04000034, listed February 11, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded bb the James River, Town Limit, the Riverview and Mount Walla, Oakwood and Cliffsiede, and Chester, Scottsville |
|---|---|
| County | Albemarle County |
| Listed | February 11, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000034 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1732 to 1953 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Mixed: Federal, Georgian, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Prairie School, Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Transportation, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mixed continuing use: dwellings, shops, a museum and bed and breakfast inns; a former high school now houses apartments for the elderly and disabled. |
| Acreage | 200 |
| Within district | Southern Albemarle Rural Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.79920, -78.49763 (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 04000034.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713182
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.