Monticello Arcade
Why it's listed
Monticello Arcade is a three-story shopping arcade completed in 1907 in downtown Norfolk, forming a covered pedestrian passage between City Hall Avenue and Plume Street. Its steel frame is faced in molded, polychromed terracotta, and each seven-bay facade is organized around a two-story Ionic order beneath an elaborate cornice. A skylit central mall, lined with shops on three levels, is entered through broken-pediment openings. The interior remains remarkably intact, with crisp detail and original arcaded gallery railings, though some ornaments and a few shop fronts have been lost. Percy S. Stephenson, an attorney and real estate agent, built it on land created by filling Town Back Creek in 1905, and it opened in 1908 amid Norfolk's early twentieth-century boom. It was listed as one of only two shopping arcades surviving in Virginia and a late example of a popular nineteenth-century commercial form. It remained a fashionable business address until about 1940.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the few remaining civic amenities of architectural significance in Norfolk's central business district and one of only two shopping arcades standing in Virginia. It is also one of the last examples of a commercial building form popular in nineteenth-century America. Its location, design and finely executed detail place it among Virginia's notable twentieth-century architectural achievements.
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 75002115, listed May 21, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | In 200 block E. City Hall Ave.; between City Hall Ave. and Plume St., Norfolk (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk |
| Listed | May 21, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75002115 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1907 (20th century) |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts (data sheet also notes Second Renaissance Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and apparently sound, with a largely unaltered interior, but in imminent danger of demolition by the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority at the time of nomination. Later records mention restoration and rehabilitation for continued use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Norfolk Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.84738, -76.29063 (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 75002115.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16895323
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.