124-0053

Seaboard Coastline Building

VLR Listing Date

08/13/1985

NRHP Listing Date

10/10/1985

NRHP Reference Number

85003129

The Seaboard Coastline Building is a dominant landmark of the Portsmouth waterfront. This curved-front structure has been a symbol of the link between rail and sea commerce in Hampton Roads since it was erected in 1894-95. Enlarged in 1914, the building served as the northern terminus and headquarters of the Seaboard Air Line railroad. This railroad transported to Portsmouth much of the South’s cotton crop for shipment abroad. It also serviced the West Virginia coalfields, the steel mills of Alabama, and the fruit and produce groves of Florida. The Seaboard Air Line later merged with the Atlantic Coast Line railroad. The offices of the resulting Seaboard Coastline Company were moved to Richmond in 1955 and the rail network eventually became part of the CSX system. The Seaboard Coastline Building building was donated to the city in 1958 and housed municipal offices until 1980. It subsequently underwent a certified rehabilitation for mixed use.

Last Updated: April 22, 2024

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Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

For additional information Read

Nomination Form

124-0026

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"Virginia's Lost" Delisted Landmarks

124-0052

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124-5130

Portsmouth Community Library

Portsmouth (Ind. City)