Located at the southern end of the city, the Newport News Downtown Historic District exemplifies nearly 100 years of historical change and growth during the urban renewal movement, which reached its peak in the 20th century. Evolution of the district began in the late-19th-century and continued for the next 60-plus years as the city attempted to reverse the impacts of rapid suburbanization, aiming to retain residents and businesses downtown through redevelopment and federal programs. The Newport News Downtown Historic District encompasses a wide variety of architectural styles, and the work of influential architects such as Carl Ruehrmund (St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church); John Kevan Peebles (Hotel Warwick); Reuben H. Hunt (First Baptist Church); and Charles M. Robinson (Medical Arts Building and Newport News Public Library). The height of the district’s redevelopment era ended in 1973, shortly before the creation of Interstate 664.