Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/18/2009
NRHP Listing Date 09/30/2009
NRHP Reference Number 09000796
The Woodland Heights Historic District encompasses one of the oldest planned streetcar suburbs in Richmond, where the nation’s first commercially successful electric railway began operation in 1888. Designed and platted in 1889 along the south bank of the James River, Woodland Heights’s park-like feel attracted families dissatisfied with life in the crowded inner city. The district was first established in 1893 by the Southland Development Corporation, though the majority of its houses were constructed between 1914 and 1933. One of three suburban neighborhoods developed along the Forest Hill trolley-car line, the district features a handsome collection of historic houses exemplifying popular period designs including Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, American Foursquare, and Craftsman. More than three quarters of the 80-block neighborhood were built between 1895 and 1935. Today the district’s tree-lined avenues, scenic views of the James River, and proximity to several city parks including James River Park, retain the neighborhood’s historic non-urban sense of identity.
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: April 16, 2021
