Manchester Industrial Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
This boundary increase extends the Manchester Industrial Historic District in south Richmond by five blocks and one bridge. The blocks had been surveyed for the original 1999 district but were omitted after owner objection. The added resources include a ca. 1915 brick warehouse at 320 Hull Street that grew from the A. S. Kratz Folding Paper Box plant, later renamed the Virginia Folding Box Company. Also included are a ca. 1945 brick warehouse built for Blue and Gray Transportation, an early Richmond trucking firm, and the Philip Morris plant at 700 Stockton Street, begun in 1937 with a concrete frame. Its ca. 1945 wing used masonry walls and heavy timber because steel was scarce during World War II. The 1911 Hull Street Bridge carries traffic over the Manchester Canal. Two buildings from about 1959 are noncontributing. The additions were found significant locally for their role in commerce, industry and transportation, and as little-altered industrial architecture from 1911 to 1949.
Significance in brief: The additions share the original district's significance as part of Manchester's continuous commercial and industrial development, qualifying under Criterion A for Commerce, Industry and Transportation. They also qualify under Criterion C as little-altered examples of warehouse and industrial architecture. The five blocks had been left out of the 1999 listing because of owner objection.
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 04000574, listed September 22, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 700 Block of Stockton St., Richmond (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond (city and county) |
| Listed | September 22, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000574 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1911-1949 |
| Architectural style | Commercial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The listed historic and current functions are the same: warehouse, manufacturing facility, industrial storage and road-related bridge. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.53233, -77.43313 (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 04000574.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.