Galax Commercial Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
Two buildings at 107 West Oldtown Street in Galax, Virginia, were added to the Galax Commercial Historic District: the Pearlman House, built around 1920, and a garage apartment built around 1945. The house is a one-story, four-bay frame dwelling with asbestos shingle siding, a brick foundation and a steeply pitched hip roof with intersecting gables. Though vernacular in style, its complex roofline and paired windows show slight Queen Anne influence. Louie Pearlman, a Jewish merchant who moved from New York, built it near his L. Pearlman Fashion Shop on South Main Street. The neighborhood was residential until the 1930s and 1940s, when downtown commercial development expanded along West Oldtown Street. The house is now one of the few survivors of the homes that once ringed the business district, and it reflects the town's 1903 gridiron plan. The city owns it and intends to adapt it as a visitors' center.
Significance in brief: The house is one of the few surviving residences that once surrounded Galax's commercial district, and it was built by a merchant who ran a clothing business on South Main Street. It was built within the district's period of significance and relates to the rigid gridiron town plan laid out in 1903.
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 08001053, listed November 12, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 107 West Oldtown St., Galax |
|---|---|
| County | Galax |
| Listed | November 12, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08001053 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1903-1949 |
| Architect / builder | Not known (built by Louie Pearlman, per the historical background) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular, with minor Queen Anne influences |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently in domestic use as a single dwelling with garage/multiple dwelling; the city owns the property and plans to renovate it as a visitors' center. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Galax Commericial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.66264, -80.92469 (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 08001053.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712347
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.