Southwest Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: Vdhr# 128-6472
Why it's listed
Covering roughly 105 city blocks in Roanoke's southwest quadrant, this district holds 1,658 structures, most of them houses built between 1882 and 1930. Three neighborhoods make it up: Old Southwest, Mountain View and Hurt Park. Development began in the northwest, where Ferdinand Rorer laid out lots in 1882 and the West End Land Company later attracted Norfolk and Western Railway employees and officials. Large Queen Anne houses line Campbell and Patterson avenues, while three Shingle-style model homes on 2nd Street date from 1891. Most buildings went up between 1900 and 1910, including many square, hipped-roof vernacular dwellings and a number of Colonial Revival mansions. Mountain View, built in 1907 for banker Junius B. Fishburn and designed by H.H. Huggins, is a standout. Churches, a synagogue, Highland Park and two schools add variety. Only about ninety buildings are considered intrusions, so the area retains the look of an early 20th-century neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the district as the most architecturally cohesive residential neighborhood of inner-city Roanoke and one of the largest historic districts in Virginia. It holds a notable collection of late 19th and early 20th-century houses, churches and schools in styles such as Queen Anne, Shingle, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and Bungalow. Its growth reflects the city's rapid expansion, driven by the Norfolk and Western Railway and local land companies.
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 100005882, listed December 3, 2020. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Westview, Westport, Salem, Jackson, Norfolk, Rorer, Campbell, Marshall, Day, Jefferson, and Clark Aves., Roanoke R., 13th and 21st Sts. St.,, Roanoke (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Roanoke (city and county) |
| Listed | December 3, 2020 |
| Reference number | 100005882 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | H.H. Huggins (architect of Mountain View and Trinity Methodist Church); H. Courey Richards (architect of Jefferson High School); Shockey and Field (contractors); T.S. Simmons (contractor); John J. Sheahan (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Shingle, Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival, Tudor Revival, Bungalow, American Foursquare, Second Empire, Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Commerce, Ethnic Heritage-Black, Ethnic Heritage-Other-Ethnic |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked excellent, good, fair and deteriorated, and the district has kept much of its architectural integrity. About ninety structures are noncontributing intrusions. Highland Park School remains an active neighborhood school. |
| Acreage | 67.5 |
| Coordinates | 37.28250, -79.97472 (Wikidata) |
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 100005882.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16900407
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.