West of Boulevard Historic District
Also known as: 127-742; See Also: 2900 Block Grove Avenue Historic District
Why it's listed
West of Boulevard is a 69-block residential neighborhood in Richmond's West End, laid out on a grid of broad, tree-shaded east-west avenues and narrower north-south side streets. It grew from about 1895 to 1940, on former farmland, as an extension of the Fan District. The district holds 1,763 contributing buildings, including brick rowhouses, detached town houses, apartment buildings, small commercial buildings, three churches, a synagogue and five schools. Styles range from Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival to Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Mediterranean, Tudor Revival and Art Deco. The oldest buildings appear to be three granite-faced Queen Anne houses on Grove Avenue from the late 1890s. Notable works include the Wendell Powell House by D. Wiley Anderson, the Benedictine High School complex designed by Father Michael McInerney, Saint Gertrude's Convent, and the Classical Revival church at Grove and North Sheppard. Its architectural variety and intact streetscapes led to its listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the district as one of Richmond's most significant collections of early-twentieth-century architecture. It contains a wide range of styles, including Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Craftsman, Mediterranean, Tudor Revival and Art Deco. It also shows the growth of a streetcar-era suburb during a period of rapid economic and social growth for the city.
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 94000153, listed March 7, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Colonial Ave., W. Grace St., Cutshaw Ave., Thompson St., and Ellwood Ave., Richmond (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond (city and county) |
| Listed | March 7, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000153 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Architects named include D. Wiley Anderson, Isaac T. Skinner, Charles M. Robinson, Marcellus E. Wright, Luther P. Hartsook, Father Michael McInerney, Baskervill and Lambert, and McGuinness and Walsh. Builders named include O. J. Davis, A. D. Sprinkle, Matthias Kayhoe, Muhleman & Kayhoe, and Max Ruehrmund. |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Craftsman, Mediterranean, Tudor Revival, Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The district is a densely populated, cohesive neighborhood still in residential, religious and educational use. It has 1,763 contributing and 175 noncontributing buildings. Benedictine High School was gutted by fire in 1986 and has since been renovated and still serves the community. The former Johnston-Willis Hospital is now a retirement home. |
| Acreage | 249 |
| Within district | James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.55969, -77.47974 (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 94000153.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7987081
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.