National Register of Historic Places

Circle, The

Portsmouth, Virginia
Listed
February 16, 2017
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
06000120

About this property

The Circle was a historic building in Portsmouth, Virginia designed by Dorothy Pebworth and constructed in 1947 — as a single story, stuccoed concrete block building in the Moderne style — originally as a curb-service restaurant, subsequently becoming a dine-in restaurant. The building's half-circle shape (in plan) featured a prominent facade topped with a neon-lit sign carrying the restaurant's name. Its interior bar featured a mural attributed to Al Hirschfeld of mid-20th century celebrities. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, the building was demolished on August 19, 2013 and removed from the National Register in 2017.

Location

Portsmouth, Virginia
36.83671, -76.33826
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Port Norfolk Historic District
Listed
0.9 mi
Shea Terrace Elementary School
Industrial
0.9 mi
Portsmouth Community Library
Industrial
1.4 mi
Fort Nelson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter House
Early Republic
1.4 mi
Truxtun Historic District
Listed
1.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Craney Island (Jun 22 1813)
1813Early Republic
0.9 mi
Battle of Craney Island
1813Early Republic
2.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Circle, The listed on the National Register?

Circle, The was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 2017.

What type of historic resource is Circle, The?

Circle, The is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Circle, The?

The period of significance for Circle, The is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Circle, The?

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