Lafayette Grammar and High School
Also known as: Lafayette I.O.P. Center
Why it's listed
Lafayette Grammar and High School at 3109 Tidewater Drive, Norfolk, consists of two brick buildings joined by a neutral link. The grammar school, built in 1905-06 to designs by Norfolk architect Vance Hebard, is a low two-story Colonial Revival building with a slate hipped roof, arched windows, white brick trim and a pedimented central entrance. It drew on mid-18th-century Virginia houses and has a residential scale. In 1910 the Norfolk firm of Lee & Deihl added an eight-room high school wing, which later lost its hipped roof, cornice and Doric portico. The school served the Tanner's Creek District of Norfolk County, a rapidly growing streetcar suburb, and anchored the Lafayette Residence Park. It became the largest school in the county system and held 926 students by 1923, when the area was annexed to Norfolk. It remained the neighborhood's main public building and architectural focus. The school was phased out of educational use in the 1970s, and conversion to housing was proposed.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a good example of early 20th-century public school architecture, with a well-preserved, intimately scaled Colonial Revival grammar school. It served as the focal point of the Lafayette Residence Park, the earliest suburban development in the area, and was the largest school in Norfolk County. It remained the main public building and architectural landmark of the neighborhood.
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 83003298, listed February 10, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3109 Tidewater Dr., Norfolk (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk |
| Listed | February 10, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003298 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1905, 1910) |
| Architect / builder | 1905, Vance Hebard; 1910, Lee & Deihl |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival (grammar school) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Norfolk; phased out of educational use in the 1970s and described as abandoned in 1970; proposed for conversion to housing. The grammar school is well preserved, while the high school has lost its roof, cornice and portico. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Within district | Lafayette Residence Park |
| Coordinates | 36.87695, -76.26465 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 83003298.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16893876
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.