National Register of Historic Places

Gainsboro Historic District

Roanoke (Independent City), Roanoke County, Virginia
Listed
November 16, 2005
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
05001276

About this property

Gainsboro Historic District is a national historic district located of Roanoke, Virginia. It encompasses 202 contributing buildings and 1 contributing structure in the African-American neighborhood of Gainsboro in Northwest Roanoke. They include single- and multiple-family dwellings, three churches; one parish hall, the Gainsboro Library, a theater, a hotel, two medical office buildings, six commercial buildings, one industry and one bridge. The buildings were primarily built between 1890 and 1925. Located in the district are the separately listed Gainsboro Branch of the Roanoke City Public Library and Henry Street Historic District. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Location

Roanoke (Independent City), Roanoke County, Virginia
37.27726, -79.94378

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMERCEENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONHEALTH/MEDICINEBLACKRELIGION
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 Gainsboro Historic District

This page lists Gainsboro 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

Gainsboro Branch of the Roanoke City Public Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Henry Street Historic District
Industrial
0.2 mi
Colonial National Bank
Colonial
0.2 mi
Norfolk & Western Railway Freight Station
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Gainsboro Historic District listed on the National Register?

Gainsboro Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 16, 2005.

What type of historic resource is Gainsboro Historic District?

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

What is the period of significance for Gainsboro Historic District?

The period of significance for Gainsboro Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Gainsboro Historic District?

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