Downtown Portsmouth Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Downtown Portsmouth Historic District

Portsmouth (Independent City), Portsmouth County, Virginia
Listed
January 16, 2004
Type
District
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
03001485

About this property

Downtown Portsmouth Historic District, also known as the High Street Corridor Historic District, is a national historic district located at Portsmouth, Virginia. It encompasses 229 contributing buildings, 1 contributing site, 4 contributing structures, and 1 contributing object in the central business district of Portsmouth. The district encompasses the original 1752 plan of the Town of Portsmouth and includes portions of expansions of the original boundaries dating to 1763 and 1909. It includes a variety of commercial, government, and institutional buildings, with most dating to the years around the turn of the 20th century. Notable buildings include the Captain Baird House, Vermillion Manor (1840), City Hall Building (1878), former United States Post Office (1907-1908), First Presbyterian Church (1877), First United Methodist Churches (1882), St. James Episcopal Church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, YMCA building, Tidewater Building, Southern Aid Building, Colony Theater, Lyric Theater, Blumberg's Department Store, Mutual Drug Company (1946), the New Kirn Building, and the Professional Building. Separately listed are the Commodore Theatre, Portsmouth Courthouse, Pythian Castle, St. Paul's Catholic Church, and Trinity Episcopal Church It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Location

Portsmouth (Independent City), Portsmouth County, Virginia
36.83686, -76.30508

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
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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Everything a full report reveals about Downtown Portsmouth Historic District

This page lists Downtown Portsmouth Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
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
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

St. Paul's Catholic Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Monumental Methodist Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Portsmouth Olde Towne Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.2 mi
Cedar Grove Cemetery
Listed
0.2 mi
Commodore Theatre
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

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

Questions about this property

When was Downtown Portsmouth Historic District listed on the National Register?

Downtown Portsmouth Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 2004.

What type of historic resource is Downtown Portsmouth Historic District?

Downtown Portsmouth Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Downtown Portsmouth Historic District?

The period of significance for Downtown Portsmouth Historic District is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1752.

Can I research the history near Downtown Portsmouth Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Downtown Portsmouth Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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