Irvington
Also known as: 051-5003; Carters Creek
Why it's listed
Irvington is a waterside village in southern Lancaster County, Virginia, spread across two peninsulas between Carters Creek, the Eastern Branch and the Rappahannock River. The historic district takes in the village proper, which is more commercial, and West Irvington, which holds most of the houses and a few seafood-related buildings. The oldest dwelling is Wilder's Grant, built about 1740. Most other buildings are wood-frame houses from the 1840s through the mid-20th century, showing Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and bungalow styles. Some houses were built from prefabricated materials made in Baltimore and shipped by steamboat. The community began as a steamboat wharf known as Carters Creek and was renamed Irvington in 1891. Roads were poor, so travel long depended on boats, and paved links to nearby towns came only in the early 20th century. The district is recognized for its maritime and community development history and for its architecture, with a period of significance from about 1740 to 1947.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is significant as a residential and commercial community that grew because of its location on the Rappahannock's waterways. It developed around Lancaster County's most prominent steamboat wharf and became a seafood production centre. It is also significant for its architecture, which ranges from Colonial and Greek Revival to Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Craftsman.
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 00000895, listed December 8, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | King Carter Drive and Irvington Road, Irvington |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | December 8, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000895 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1740-1947 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Colonial; Greek Revival; Gothic Revival; Italianate; Queen Anne; Colonial Revival; Classical Revival; Commercial style; Bungalow/Craftsman; Moderne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Largely residential and commercial community still in use as homes, a hotel, businesses and other uses; about 22 percent of its buildings date from the past five decades. |
| Acreage | 1107.2 |
| Coordinates | 37.65905, -76.42617 (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 00000895.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1373509
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.