Henry, Patrick, Hotel
Also known as: DHR File No. 128-235
Why it's listed
Rising ten stories in downtown Roanoke, the Patrick Henry Hotel opened in 1925 and still operates as a hotel. Designed by New York hotel architect William Lee Stoddart, it is an L-shaped building of dark red Flemish-bond brick with cast concrete cornices, garlands and urns. A four-bay enclosed cast-iron balcony, carried on massive brackets, projects over the sidewalk on the east facade and is decorated with figures of classical maidens. Inside, a two-story lobby with a mezzanine and a formal ballroom occupy the lower floors. The hotel grew out of a 1920s drive to raise Roanoke's standing, led by civic leader and former mayor William Wise Boxley, who helped form the corporations that financed it. The original building held three hundred rooms and cost two million dollars. Later renovations changed the guest rooms and added a ballroom in 1938, but the Colonial Revival exterior remains largely intact. It is listed for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The hotel is argued to be an example of extravagant Colonial Revival architecture built as part of a 1920s campaign to bring status and a cosmopolitan atmosphere to Roanoke. It is described as the paramount product of the civic renewal led by former mayor and businessman William Wise Boxley. Its name and style were meant to evoke Virginia's colonial heritage and the stability of the Federal style.
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 91000829, listed July 3, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 617 Jefferson St. S., Roanoke (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Roanoke (city and county) |
| Listed | July 3, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000829 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925 |
| Architect / builder | Stoddart, William Lee |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still serves its original function as a hotel; the interior and guest rooms have been remodeled and new owners planned further renovation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Southwest Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.26874, -79.95212 (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 91000829.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7146706
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.