Cartersville Historic District
Also known as: VDHR File No. 24-126
Why it's listed
Cartersville is a small village on a bluff above the James River in northern Cumberland County, Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly established it in 1790 at Carter's Ferry, a river crossing that also served as a Revolutionary War supply post. The ferry, the Cartersville Bridge of 1822 and the James River and Kanawha Canal, which arrived in 1851, made it a regional transportation center. After the Civil War the railroad bypassed the town, and its economy and population declined. The district covers about forty-eight acres and holds mostly wood-frame, weatherboard houses from around 1900, along with Federal-style houses and taverns from the 1780s to 1810, three churches, a post office, a former bank and several commercial buildings. Notable examples include the Deanery, the Cartersville Tavern, the Victorian Gothic Baptist church and three modified Queen Anne houses. The village has changed little since the early twentieth century, which is the basis for its listing for transportation history and architecture.
Significance in brief: Cartersville was founded in 1790 at the site of Carter's Ferry and prospered as a transportation center thanks to the ferry, the 1822 bridge and the 1851 canal. It declined after the railroad bypassed it, leaving a village little changed since the early twentieth century. The form argues it is significant for transportation and for an architecturally notable collection of Federal, Victorian Gothic, Queen Anne and vernacular buildings.
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 93000505, listed June 10, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by VA 45, VA 649 and VA 656, Cartersville |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | June 10, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000505 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1780s to 1940 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Federal, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mostly residential and well preserved. The 1883 Methodist church and the former Cartersville Bank building are described as vacant, and a former church now serves as the post office. |
| Acreage | 48 |
| Coordinates | 37.66670, -78.08967 (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 93000505.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5047264
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.