Pearisburg Historic District
Also known as: DHR File No. 279-12; See Also:Giles County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Pearisburg's historic downtown clusters nineteen buildings around the Public Square, where Main Street meets Wenonah Avenue in the Giles County seat. The town was platted in 1806 on land donated by George Pearis, and the district's oldest building is the brick Western Hotel, built in 1827 by Guy D. French. The 1836 courthouse, built by Thomas Mercer, also survives. Most other buildings date from 1900 to 1942 and include banks, offices, a hospital conversion, a car dealership, mixed-use blocks with apartments, a stone-faced Episcopal church, a Colonial Revival sheriff's office and jail, and an Art Deco theater with its original marquee. The district was listed for its role in local commerce and county government and for its range of architectural styles. Storefronts have been altered, but the streetscape has no gaps from demolition, and the wrought iron fence around the Public Square remains.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its association with commerce, shown by nearly twenty buildings that housed shops, offices, banks, lodging and restaurants. It is also significant for local government and politics as the county seat, with the courthouse and sheriff's office/jail. It is further significant for architecture, since the buildings show Federal, Romanesque, Craftsman, Colonial Revival and Art Deco styles.
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 92000004, listed January 30, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly, Wenonah Ave. from Tazewell St. to Main St. and adjacent parts of N. and S. Main, Pearisburg |
|---|---|
| County | Giles County |
| Listed | January 30, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000004 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1806-1842 |
| Architect / builder | Guy D. French (Western Hotel, 1827); Thomas Mercer (Giles County Courthouse, 1836) |
| Architectural style | Federal, Romanesque, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Many buildings are in use for commercial, government, religious and residential purposes; the form also lists vacant/not in use among current functions. Many storefronts have been altered. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 37.32660, -80.73477 (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 92000004.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713047
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.