Laburnum Park Historic District
Also known as: VDHR file no. 127-5895
Why it's listed
Laburnum Park is a residential suburb of about 116 acres in northwest Richmond, planned around 1919 on a grid of wide avenues. Grassy medians with mature shade trees, deep setbacks, half-acre lots and original cast-metal street signs give it a designed character. Most of its roughly 230 houses are two stories, in brick or frame, and Colonial Revival dominates, with many Craftsman and Tudor Revival examples and a few Mission and French Renaissance designs. Notable buildings include the 1908 Laburnum House, the 1911 Hermitage mansion and Laburnum Court, 24 cooperatively owned houses designed by Charles M. Robinson in 1919 to promote lot sales. Institutions along Westwood Avenue include a nursing home, a school campus and the former Richmond Memorial Hospital, completed in 1957. Two markers recall the area's earlier history: a turnpike mile marker and a Civil War defenses plaque. The district was listed for its intact suburban landscape and architectural variety.
Significance in brief: The form presents the district as a well-preserved, designed early 20th-century suburb with wide tree-lined boulevards, deep setbacks and large lots. It holds a wide range of period house styles, dominated by Colonial Revival, along with notable architect-designed work such as Laburnum Court and several institutions. The district is said to retain its integrity of setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.
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 01001573, listed February 5, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Westwood, Palmyra, Confederate, Wilmington, W. Laburnum Aves., Chatham, Gloucester and Lamont Sts., Richmond (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond (city and county) |
| Listed | February 5, 2002 |
| Reference number | 01001573 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Parish & Schroeder (Laburnum House, 1908); Charles Morrison Robinson (Laburnum Court, 1919; 1411 Wilmington Avenue, 1922); Muhleman and Kahoe; Davis Brothers; Samuel Hannaford & Sons and Baskervill & Son (Richmond Memorial Hospital); Charles Gillette (landscape) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman, Tudor Revival, Queen Anne, Classical Revival, Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival, French Renaissance, Late Gothic Revival, Modern Movement |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Education, Health/Medicine, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mostly in residential use, with a nursing home, a school and a church still active. The form says the institutional buildings are in very good condition and the houses remain well preserved. The function list also includes a vacant/not in use category and a parking lot. |
| Acreage | 116 |
| Coordinates | 37.58134, -77.45629 (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 01001573.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16893852
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.