Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
See link(s) below to view additional documentation.
VLR Listing Date 03/16/1982
NRHP Listing Date 02/11/1983
NRHP Reference Number 83003284; AD83003284
With its exceptional collection of ornamental, free-standing frame dwellings and a compact business core, all set among hundreds of trees, the Ashland Historic District is an engaging example of a turn-of-the-century railroad and streetcar suburb. Defining the district’s spine are the tracks of the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad and the parallel Center Street, on either side of which is a full range of Victorian styles and later styles: Italianate, Eastlake, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival. Also along the tracks is the small but sophisticated Ashland depot (see above). The commercial area is an assemblage of “Main Street” brick structures of the 1920s. With the addition of the Randolph Macon College quadrangle the district illustrates the important role that both the railroad and the college have played in Ashland’s development. A strong sense of community pride has served to maintain Ashland’s historic flavor.
A 2017 updated nomination for the Ashland Historic District was accepted by the National Register in 2019.
[NRHP Accepted: 4/17/2019]
[Photo credit: Sarah Traum/Christina Osborn, 2017]
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: March 12, 2021
