Smith's Pharmacy
Also known as: 121-5066
.JPG){kind=link}
Why it's listed
Smith's Pharmacy, at 3114 Chestnut Avenue in Newport News, is a two-story brick commercial building. The first floor opened in 1946 as a drugstore with a soda fountain, and a second floor of medical offices was added in 1952. Henry L. Livas, one of Virginia's earliest African-American architects, designed it. Dr. Charles Calvin Smith, a pharmacist, had opened the city's first Black-owned pharmacy in 1921. His later store served as a community meeting place, an externship site for Black pharmacy students during segregation, a newspaper drop-off for student carriers, and a late-night stop for shipyard workers. He also encouraged people to register and vote. The Smith family ran the business until 1999. The interior survives almost untouched, including the pharmacy counters, shelves, soda fountain, wooden booths, ceiling tiles, and many lighting and plumbing fixtures. Its integrity makes it a rare example of a postwar community pharmacy in Virginia.
Significance in brief: The building is tied to Dr. Charles Calvin Smith, who ran the first Black-owned pharmacy in Newport News and made his store a community gathering place and training ground for aspiring Black pharmacists. It is also an almost unaltered example of a post-World War II community pharmacy, with its original counters, soda fountain, booths and fixtures intact.
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 02000618, listed June 6, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3114 Chestnut Ave., Newport News |
|---|---|
| County | Newport News |
| Listed | June 6, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000618 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1946-1952 |
| Architect / builder | Henry L. Livas, Architect; Elbert Walker, Project Architect |
| Architectural style | Early 20th Century American Movement: Commercial Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Health/Medicine, Social History, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The pharmacy was sold to the Eckerd Corporation in 1999 and left unaltered. The form says a Smith family member planned to return to manage the store after designation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.99314, -76.40883 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 02000618.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16900298
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.