Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/18/2003
NRHP Listing Date 04/05/2004
NRHP Reference Number 04000270
Virginia Department of Highways Building, built in 1939, was a significant manifestation of the Commonwealth’s commitment to road construction inaugurated in 1932 when the General Assembly passed the Byrd Road Act, establishing the state’s secondary road system. Some 35,000 miles of mostly unsurfaced county roads became the new responsibility of the state. The handsome granite and limestone building was designed by the Richmond firm, Carneal, Johnston & Wright in a style variously identified as Stripped Classicism, WPA Modern, or Art Deco. Its monumental formality is appropriate for its dramatic site on a steep hill looking from Capitol Hill over to Church Hill. The four-foot-high frieze on the main elevation is inscribed “Dedicated to the Comfort and Safety of Those who Travel the Highways of the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
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: September 21, 2021
