The development of Hampton’s Pasture Point Historic District was directly tied to the extension of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway from Newport News to Hampton in 1882, followed by streetcar and trolley lines opening to Pasture Point circa 1889. The district was platted and developed by the Old Dominion Land Co., chartered circa 1880 by Collis P. Huntington, a key industrialist in the creation of the first transcontinental railroad and the C & O, as well as Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. Pasture Point, arising as a typical streetcar neighborhood during the 1890s, thrived well into the early 20th century as a growing residential community for those employed at the C & O rail terminal, shipyard, and drydock facilities. Most of Pasture Point’s housing stock was built by 1920, though some post-World War II development and street realignment has occurred. Many of the Pasture Point Historic District’s homes were built by Charles Taylor and William Holtzclaw, distinguished local builders who gained a reputation for work on significant landmarks like the National Soldiers’ Home.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia