Norfolk & Western Railroad Historic District in the city of Norfolk, dates back to 1884, when a rail spur to Lambert’s Point was constructed. The district’s architecture reflects its historic development as a densely built railroad corridor and encompasses a large number of commercial and light industrial buildings that have housed various businesses for more than a century. The construction of the rail spur and subsequent development of the area also stems from increased mining in the latter 19th century of western Virginia’s Pocahontas coal fields, from where coal was shipped by rail to Norfolk for ocean bound shipping. The Norfolk & Western Railroad Historic District also is significant for its association with Norfolk’s leading Jewish and business entrepreneurs, the Margolius family, who built a large number of the district’s buildings and who also pioneered new methods for developing real estate in the city.