In response to the city of Roanoke’s rapid industrial growth during the late-19th and early-20th centuries along the Roanoke River and railroad lines, the Riverland Historic District was developed between 1913 and 1930 by the Highland Land Company as a suburb to provide housing for working-class citizens. Just south of a bend in the Roanoke River, the Riverland Historic District features a range of popular housing styles from the early 20th century.  Eleven homes pre-date the Highland Land Company’s development of the district, and the early growth occurred along Walnut Avenue and Riverland Road, on the blocks closest to the bridge across the Roanoke River. It is reasonable that the earliest development would have occurred in this area since it was closest to the streetcar line and to the downtown. These early houses provide good examples of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles. The majority of the houses in the district were built in the 1920s, and these were primarily American Foursquare and Craftsman style homes. The intense growth of the Riverland Historic District during this period corresponds with establishment of the American Viscose Company plant across the river in 1917 and its rapid growth through the entire decade.