The Roanoke River & Railroad Historic District centers on a tract of land along the Roanoke River in southeast Roanoke that developed rapidly as an industrial corridor with the completion of the Roanoke & Southern Railway in 1892 and the Virginian Railway line in 1909. Industries that arose along these two rail lines reflected the tremendous growth Roanoke experienced with the construction of the railroads. From lumberyards to iron and bridge works, the industries were directly tied to either the construction of the railroad or the many houses built during the early boom years of Roanoke. The district’s period of significance extends from 1892, the year a Roanoke & Southern Railway line was completed, to 1959, when the Virginian Railway merged with Norfolk & Western and the district’s rail station ceased service for freight or passenger traffic.
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
Nomination Form
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