National Register of Historic Places

Belgian Building

Richmond (Independent City), Richmond County, Virginia
Listed
February 25, 1970
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
01000439

About this property

The Belgian Building, also known as the Belgian Friendship Building and Belgian Pavilion, is a historic building complex located in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It was originally constructed as the exhibition hall for the nation of Belgium at the 1939 New York World's Fair in New York City. One of the few buildings constructed for the fair that was designed to last beyond the event's end, the complex was initially intended to be reconstructed in Belgium following the conclusion of the fair. Due to Belgium's occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II, however, the building was instead donated to the Virginia Union University in Richmond. The facility was deconstructed in New York, shipped to Virginia, and reassembled on Virginia Union's campus. The complex served first as a new soldier processing location for the United States Army, then later as a gym, library, and classroom space for Virginia Union. The gym portion of the complex was renamed Barco-Stevens Hall, and as of 2026, still hosted collegiate athletic events. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Location

Richmond (Independent City), Richmond County, Virginia
37.56233, -77.45003

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Virginia Union University
Civil War
0.1 mi
Richmond and Chesapeake Bay Railway Car Barn
Industrial
0.2 mi
Department of Public Utilities Howard (Overbrook) Road Facility
Civil War
0.2 mi
Walker, Maggie L., High School
Industrial
0.4 mi
Southern Stove Works
Industrial
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Bloody Run — Bacon's Rebellion
1676Colonial
1.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Belgian Building listed on the National Register?

Belgian Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 25, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Belgian Building?

Belgian Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Belgian Building?

The period of significance for Belgian Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Belgian Building?

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