Local Historic Districts & Landmarks

The Downtown Historic District is the oldest and longest-occupied commercial quarter in Norfolk. Centered around bustling Granby Street, the district is known for its early commercial streetscape. 

The East Freemason Historic District includes several historic buildings that are individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places: Freemason Street Baptist Church, Moses-Myers House, Norfolk Academy and Willoughby-Baylor House. The historic buildings date to the late-1700s and mid-1800s and capture the high-style architecture of wealthy residents and institutions in Norfolk during the Early National Period. 

The locally-designated Ghent Historic District includes two National Register historic districts: Ghent and North Ghent. These planned suburban neighborhoods were built out at the turn of the twentieth century. They are among the city's most iconic examples of City Beautiful and Beaux Arts planning and landscape design.

The Norfolk & Western Railroad Historic District includes commercial and light industrial buildings that grew up in the 1880s around a Norfolk & Western rail spur to Lambert's Point. Development in the district is closely tied to the city's leading Jewish and business entrepreneurs, the Margolius Family, and then new methods of real estate development in Norfolk.

The West Freemason Historic District was the first historic district in Norfolk to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The district is noted for its high-style architecture that spans from c. 1790 to today. In addition to its architecture, West Freemason is significant for its role in efforts to desegregate the Central YMCA--a major legal milestone in Virginia under the Civil Rights Act--and in the early historic preservation movement in Norfolk.

The Linde Air (1918) represents the kind of light industrial development that sprung up between Ghent and Park Place in the early 20th century. The U-shaped building was constructed as a factory for the Linde Air Products Company, which sited its factory here due to its proximity to the railroad. It is a contributing resource in the Norfolk & Western Railroad National Register Historic District. 

While today First Colony Historic Landmark has been renovated for use as apartments, it was constructed in 1908 as a Planters Peanut Storage Co. warehouse building and was used as a coffee storage warehouse by the James G. Gill Company starting in 1923. The historic building contributes to two National Register Historic Districts: the Norfolk & Western Railroad Historic District and the Williamston-Woodland Historic District. 

The Boys & Girls Club was constructed in 1950 in Park Place and was occupied by the club until 2001. It is a contributing resource in the Park Place National Register Historic District and is a good example of local Modern architecture. The building was converted to apartments in 2018 and retains many of its original features.

The Park Place Methodist Church was designated locally in 2022. The church was constructed in 1949 in the Classical Revival Style, as was the adjacent school building; both are contributing resources in the Park Place National Register Historic District.

Zion Methodist Church was constructed between 1896 and 1897. The church's congregation traces its origins back to one of the earliest Methodist congregations in Norfolk. The building is a unique example of Late Victorian Romanesque Revivalism, which was typically used for rural churches and makes it stand out in its urban setting near downtown Norfolk.

Talbot Hall dates to 1802 and is associated with the locally prominent Talbot Family. The house was initially constructed as a summer house for Thomas Talbot by his father, Samuel. The house is an outstanding example of the Federal Style and is one of three early American houses in Norfolk which were formerly plantations located outside the city's historic limits.

The Hodges House was constructed sometime between 1818 and 1832 by John Hodges, a captain in the Virginia Militia in 1784. The house was locally designated in 1978.

The Tidewater Supply Company had several warehouses on this property, the earliest of which dates to 1920 and the later ones dating to the 1950s and 1970s. The warehouses were built immediately adjacent to the railroad tracks. This landmark contributes to two National Register Historic Districts: Park Place and Norfolk & Western Railroad District.

Fire Station No. 12 is a 1923 fire station constructed after the "Great Annexation" of Norfolk County. It was designed by local architects Philip B. Moser and Erwin C. Gutzwiller to blend into the nearby residential neighborhoods. It served as an active fire station until 2018 when a modern facility was constructed across the street.