Phlegar Building
Also known as: 154-7
Why it's listed
Facing the public square in Christiansburg, this three-story brick building at 2 S. Franklin Street grew out of the old Montgomery County clerk's office. The county sold it in 1858 to Walter Staples and John Wade, who received it in lieu of payment for building a new jail. Lawyers used it through the later nineteenth century, including the firms of Wade and Sullivan and Staples, Sullivan, and Cassel. In 1897 Archer A. Phlegar bought it and remodeled it extensively, adding a rear wing and a second story. The Italianate-style result has segmentally arched openings, a pressed metal cornice, a two-story front porch with turned posts and spindle frieze, and an open-stringer stair inside. Flemish-bond brickwork and early molded trim reveal the earlier structure. The Phlegar family held the building until the mid-twentieth century, when the county acquired it for government offices. It is recognized as the county's best surviving late nineteenth-century law office.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be the county's best example of a late nineteenth-century law office. It also retains recognizable form and material elements of the early nineteenth-century county clerk's office. Its interior and exterior give the courthouse square a substantial late Victorian appearance.
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 89001892, listed November 13, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2 S. Franklin St., Christiansburg |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | November 13, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001892 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1860 ca. 1910 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used for county government offices since the mid-twentieth century; interior alterations by the county are stated not to have affected the significant plan and materials. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Christiansburg Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.12964, -80.40806 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 89001892.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713057
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.