Hermitage Road Historic District facts for kids
|
Hermitage Road Historic District
|
|
HRHD sign near the Laburnum and Hermitage intersection
|
|
 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 3800–4200 blocks of Hermitage Rd. Richmond, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Built | 1894 |
| Architect | D. Wiley Anderson |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000031 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | February 9, 2006 |
The Hermitage Road Historic District (HRHD) is a special neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. It's located on the Northside of the city. This area is important because it's recognized as a historic district by the city of Richmond, the state of Virginia, and even the whole country!
A historic district is a place where buildings and areas are protected because they have a lot of history. The Hermitage Road Historic District has many different styles of old houses. You can see Victorian, Tudor, and Colonial Revival homes there. These homes are found along the 3800 to 4300 blocks of Hermitage Road. This part of the road is also known as State Route 161.
Contents
Where is the Hermitage Road District?
The Hermitage Road Historic District has clear starting and ending points.
Southern Boundary Markers
The south end of the district starts near the A.P. Hill Monument. This monument is special because the person it honors, A.P. Hill, is actually buried underneath it! This is the only monument like this in Richmond, which is sometimes called "The City of Monuments."
Also at the south end is a house called 13 Acres. A family named Blair gave this house and land to the city. They wanted it to be a permanent green space, like a park. Today, the Richmond Public School system uses the house.
Northern Boundary Markers
The north end of the district is where Hermitage Road meets Westbrook Avenue. Close by, you can find the Freeman Marker No. 34. This marker shows where the outer defense line was for the city of Richmond during the Civil War.
How the Neighborhood Began
The Hermitage Road area was first developed as a "streetcar suburb." This means it was a neighborhood built along a streetcar line. People could live here and easily ride the streetcar to get to work or other places in the city.
Many of the original concrete poles that held up the streetcar wires are still standing today. They are over 100 years old and are still being used! The streetcar line used to go all the way to Lakeside Park. This park is now where the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is located.
Protecting the Historic District
The Hermitage Road Historic District was officially formed in 1988. This happened because a group wanted to tear down two very old and important houses. One of these houses was a great example of the Romanesque Revival style, built in the 1890s.
The people living in the neighborhood worked together to "block the wrecking ball." They stopped the houses from being torn down! After that, they quickly created a City Old and Historic District. The main goal of this district is to protect and save the historic buildings along Hermitage Road. They do this by using special rules called zoning laws.
The Hermitage Road Historic District Association (HRHD Association) is still very active today. Homeowners in the area work together to keep the neighborhood special. They also cooperate with other nearby neighborhood groups, like those in Bellevue and Rosedale.
