Hermitage Road Historic District
Encyclopedia
Hermitage Road Historic District (HRHD) is a Northside
neighborhood in the independent city
of Richmond, Virginia
. The district is a Richmond Old and Historic District, as well as being listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places
.
The historic district consists of properties built in different architectural styles (Victorian, Tudor, Arts and Crafts, Georgian, Colonial Revival, etc.) located in the 3800 to 4300 blocks of Hermitage Road, this portion of which is designated as State Route 161, which crosses over Interstate 95
at the north end of the 4300 block.
Also at the south end of the district is the 13 Acres house, which was donated by the Blair family with the intention of providing a permanent green space in the city. The house is currently used by the Richmond Public School system.
The north end of the district is at the intersection of Hermitage Road and Westbrook Avenue near the Freeman Marker No. 34, which marks the outer defense line for the City of Richmond during the Civil War.
s. Most of the original concrete poles used for the overhead trolley wiring
are still located in the median of the street and are still in service after over 100 years. The streetcar line extended to Lakeside Park in Henrico County, terminating at the present site of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
.
style, was built in the 1890s). The people of the neighborhood "blocked the wrecking ball" and quickly formed a City Old and Historic District. The goal of the district is the protection and preservation of historic resources through zoning enforcement along Hermitage Road.
The HRHD Association continues to have active participation from homeowners and cooperates with other nearby neighborhood associations, such as Bellevue and Rosedale.
North Side (Richmond Virginia)
The North Side is an area composed of northern Richmond, Virginia and some parts of Henrico County, Virginia.The area is home to many diverse neighborhoods, especially early streetcar suburbs, including Barton Heights, Bellevue, Ginter Park, Washington Park, Hermitage Road, Highland Park, Sherwood...
neighborhood in the independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. The district is a Richmond Old and Historic District, as well as being listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The historic district consists of properties built in different architectural styles (Victorian, Tudor, Arts and Crafts, Georgian, Colonial Revival, etc.) located in the 3800 to 4300 blocks of Hermitage Road, this portion of which is designated as State Route 161, which crosses over Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Virginia
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg. Though Interstate 95 was originally planned to go straight through Washington, D.C., it was instead...
at the north end of the 4300 block.
Boundaries
The south end of the district is marked by the A.P. Hill Monument located in the center of the intersection of Laburnum Avenue and Hermitage Road. This monument is the only one of its type in Richmond (The City of Monuments) under which the subject individual is actually interred.Also at the south end of the district is the 13 Acres house, which was donated by the Blair family with the intention of providing a permanent green space in the city. The house is currently used by the Richmond Public School system.
The north end of the district is at the intersection of Hermitage Road and Westbrook Avenue near the Freeman Marker No. 34, which marks the outer defense line for the City of Richmond during the Civil War.
Origins of the neighborhood
The area was originally developed as one of Richmond's Northside streetcar suburbStreetcar suburb
A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Early suburbs were served by horsecars, but by the late 19th century cable cars and electric streetcars, or trams, were used, allowing...
s. Most of the original concrete poles used for the overhead trolley wiring
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
are still located in the median of the street and are still in service after over 100 years. The streetcar line extended to Lakeside Park in Henrico County, terminating at the present site of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, , is a botanical garden located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, on the North Side of Richmond, Virginia.- Mission :...
.
Creation of the Historic District
In 1988, the historic district was formed in response to a move by a local organization to tear down two historic houses (one, an excellent example of the Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style, was built in the 1890s). The people of the neighborhood "blocked the wrecking ball" and quickly formed a City Old and Historic District. The goal of the district is the protection and preservation of historic resources through zoning enforcement along Hermitage Road.
The HRHD Association continues to have active participation from homeowners and cooperates with other nearby neighborhood associations, such as Bellevue and Rosedale.