Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 03/07/2007
NRHP Listing Date 05/02/2007
NRHP Reference Number 07000390
Richmond’s Chamberlayne Gardens is an apartment complex constructed 1945-46 by Norfolk architect Bernard Betzig Spigel. It is the oldest apartment complex built in Richmond through the assistance of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in its drive to provide affordable housing after World War II for the rapidly expanding urban middle class. Chamberlayne Gardens is a particularly good example of garden apartment design, which became more popular in the late 1930s and 1940s. The complex showcases many distinctive characteristics of garden apartment design, including central courtyards and the use of abundant natural lighting indoors. Of the FHA-funded apartment complexes constructed in Richmond, Chamberlayne Gardens was the largest, covering two full city blocks, and it retains much of its late 1940s fixtures and character. It is now one of Richmond’s few remaining testaments to the important and influential demographic changes that occurred following World War II.
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: May 25, 2021
