Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/19/1991
NRHP Listing Date 04/22/1992
NRHP Reference Number 92000345
This compact district incorporates a significant assortment of buildings dating from 1840 to 1905, when South Market Street was one of the city of Petersburg’s premier residential areas. The high-style Greek Revival and Italianate dwellings lining the two-block-long district housed some of Petersburg’s economic, social, and political elite. Most of the structures in the South Market Street Historic District display a high standard of craftsmanship and are set off by ancillary features such as cast-iron fences, tiled walks, and granite curbs. A highlight is the Norman-style former South Market Street Methodist Church, completed in 1860. Several original outbuildings survive, including carriage houses and kitchens. Although demolitions have robbed the neighborhood of important structures, a cohesion is tenaciously maintained. The principal historic landmark is the Thomas Wallace House where, on April 3, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln held his last meeting with Gen. Ulysses Grant.
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
