City Market
Also known as: Farmers Market
Why it's listed
Petersburg's City Market is an octagonal brick building, ninety-three feet across, set in a spacious square bounded by W. Old, River and Rock Streets and Cockade Alley. Each side of the ground floor has three arched bays of double Romanesque-style windows that create the look of an arcade. A large metal canopy on elaborate iron brackets circles the building, and above it on each side are three arched windows that have since been bricked in. Corbeled brickwork marks the cornice, and a low octagonal cupola with louvered arched windows crowns the hipped roof. The land was given in trust in 1806 by merchant Robert Bolling, who intended it always to be used for a market. The present building, put up in 1878-79, is the fourth on the site, the first having been built in 1787. Its distinctive shape and details, and its continuing use as a market, made it notable as a surviving example of a disappearing urban building type.
Significance in brief: The form describes the market as an unusually fine example of an urban building type that is fast disappearing. Its octagonal shape and well-handled details give it a distinction rarely found in utilitarian structures. It also remains a working market on land given in trust in 1806 for market use.
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 69000345, listed June 11, 1969. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Rock, W. Old and River Sts., and Cockade Alley, Petersburg (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Petersburg |
| Listed | June 11, 1969 |
| Reference number | 69000345 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1878-79 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque style windows on an octagonal plan |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in fair condition; described as a still functioning institution. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Within district | Petersburg Old Town Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 37.23354, -77.40477 (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 69000345.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5123297
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.