Rivermont Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: VDHR File # 118-0334
Why it's listed
Rivermont is a hillside neighborhood in northwestern Lynchburg, bounded by the James River, Blackwater Creek and steep rises in elevation, with curving Rivermont Avenue as its spine. The Rivermont Land Company began platting it in 1890, setting lot sizes, uses, setbacks and minimum building costs through deed requirements. A streetcar line and the Rivermont Bridge over Blackwater Creek tied it to downtown. The district counts 384 resources, mostly buildings, including houses, apartments, churches, a fire station, schools, a college and a library. Styles range from Queen Anne frame mansions by Edward G. Frye to Georgian and Colonial Revival houses, Tudor Revival, Bungalow and International-style apartments. Randolph-Macon Woman's College, founded in 1891 on land donated by the company, anchors the area, and the Jones Memorial Library is another landmark. Its planned layout, architectural variety and good integrity underpin its listing for community development and design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is Lynchburg's first planned streetcar community, mixing homes, shops, churches, schools and green space with a transportation line built into the design. It also holds a cohesive collection of late 19th and early 20th century buildings in nearly every major American style, many by leading Lynchburg architects, plus gardens by Charles Gillette.
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). NRHP reference 13000338, listed May 28, 2013. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 200 Boston Ave., Lynchburg (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Lynchburg |
| Listed | May 28, 2013 |
| Reference number | 13000338 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Edward G. Frye, Aubrey Chesterman, J.M.B. Lewis, Stanhope Johnson, Preston Craighill, Bennett Cardwell, Bryant Heard, Pendleton Clark, Everette Fauber, Walter Crowe, Ralph Adams Cram, William Poindexter, Penrose Stout; landscape architect Charles Gillette |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Beaux Arts, Classical Revival, Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman, Tudor Revival, Italianate, Commercial Style, Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most resources are described as being in good or excellent condition, and the district as a whole retains good integrity; about 82% of resources are historic. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.43606, -79.16955 (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 13000338.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives)
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.