Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 09/08/2004
NRHP Listing Date 03/18/2005
NRHP Reference Number 04001372
The Oakwood-Chimborazo Historic District is another example of early speculative residential development following the introduction of a trolley line; thus the district’s linear shape, encompassing three neighborhoods—Chimborazo, Oakwood, and Glenwood Park. Although Oakwood and Chimborazo have merged over the years, Glenwood Park still retains a distinctive character due in part to its park-like setting and curvilinear streets. The Oakwood-Chimborazo district contains a significant collection of late-19th- and early-20th-century brick and frame dwellings that display an eclectic architectural mix of Late Victorian, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival styles, alongside Victorian cottages and a few bungalow-style houses. Schools, churches, and corner stores enhance the visual dynamic of the district, which also includes three contributing cemeteries and three parks, the previously listed Nathaniel Bacon School, and 1,606 buildings. The Civil War-related sites of Chimborazo Hospital and Oakwood Cemetery also are part of the district. Many of Richmond’s leading architects designed buildings here. For the most part the district reveals a high level of integrity and preservation. The significant growth of Richmond’s African American middle-class is evidenced in the district’s Evergreen Cemetery, established in 1891, and the transition of the area during the 1950s and 1960s into a largely black community.
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: June 11, 2021
