Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 08/21/1990
NRHP Listing Date 12/21/1990
NRHP Reference Number 90001572
Incorporating portions of some nine blocks in the heart of the city, the Petersburg Courthouse Historic District centers around the 1840 courthouse which dominates the downtown skyline. Along its streets is a dense assemblage of urban architecture including public and institutional structures, as well as commercial and residential buildings in various styles ranging in date from 1815 to the 1940s. An especially fine collection of commercial buildings lines North Sycamore Street, the Petersburg’s main street. Individually significant landmarks in the Petersburg Courthouse Historic District are the Tabb Street Presbyterian Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and the former U.S. Customs House—now the city hall. The area was the target of Union bombardment during the 1864-65 nine-month siege of Petersburg. Physical damage was minimal but the city never regained its role as one of the state’s leading urban centers. The district’s commercial stability, however, was sustained by Petersburg’s tobacco industry.
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: February 24, 2022
