West Freemason Street Area Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Why it's listed
West Freemason Street Area is a compact neighborhood of about fourteen blocks on the western edge of downtown Norfolk, between the Elizabeth River and Boush Street. Laid out just after the Revolution, it contains townhouses built from the late eighteenth century into the early twentieth, including Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne and Georgian Revival examples. Most are three- or five-bay dwellings set close to the street on deep, narrow lots. Nineteenth-century details survive, such as stone paving at the end of West Freemason Street and fine cast iron fences and verandas. The district matters because Norfolk's other old residential neighborhoods were cleared in the 1960s, leaving this as the city's only early residential streetscape. Individual houses carry their own stories: the 1807 Selden House served as Federal headquarters from 1862 to 1865, the Whittle House was home to Captain Richard Lucien Page, and the Allmand-Archer House housed American officers in the War of 1812.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues this is the only one of Norfolk's historic residential neighborhoods to escape the urban renewal of the 1960s, and the only surviving early residential streetscape in the city. Its townhouses record the city's architectural development from Federal to Georgian Revival. It also has associations with figures and events such as Captain Richard Lucien Page, the War of 1812 and the Civil War occupation.
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 72001512, listed November 7, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Both sides of Bute and Freemason Sts. between Elizabeth River, and York and Duke Sts., Norfolk (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk |
| Listed | November 7, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001512 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Range of townhouse styles from Federal through Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, Beaux Arts Classicism and Georgian Revival |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Military, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked fair and altered; structures range from excellently maintained to poorly maintained and abandoned, and the area is primarily residential with some townhouses converted to commercial use. |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Coordinates | 36.85234, -76.29439 (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 72001512.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16903095
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.