Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/03/1997
NRHP Listing Date 05/08/1998
NRHP Reference Number 98000451
A community at the junction of the Appomattox and James rivers was established in 1613 as Bermuda City, later known as City Point. The adjacent Hopewell industrial community was incorporated as a city in 1916. The City Municipal Building, built in 1925, served as Hopewell’s first official courts building. It is architecturally significant as a fine example of neoclassical architecture, the prevalent style of the great majority of courthouses built in eastern Virginia in the early 20th century. Designed by architect Fred Bishop, who left his mark on a number of other significant constructions in Hopewell—the Beacon Theatre, Highland Park School (now the Westover), and the D.L. Elder Building on Main Street—the building stands on Main Street at the center of the Downtown Hopewell Historic District. The most impressive interior feature of the Hopewell Municipal Building is a mural, painted by Jay Bohannon in 1989, depicting the history of the city.
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
Updated: July 1, 2021
