Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/16/2022
NRHP Listing Date 08/17/2022
NRHP Reference Number SG100008022
English Gardens is a garden-apartment complex in the Raleigh Court neighborhood of southwest Roanoke that was constructed in two phases between 1947 and 1950. The 17 buildings comprising the complex are of concrete block construction faced with brick veneer. The original multi-light, steel, casement windows are extant throughout all the resources. Many of the buildings feature Colonial Revival-style door surrounds or entry porches. The original interior plans remain largely intact and reflect the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) design standards for efficient, well-ventilated apartment units primarily geared toward veterans and their mostly middle-class families. The second largest FHA-backed garden apartment complex in the city with 84 units, the property is a well-preserved example of the suburban garden apartment model promoted by the FHA from the 1930s to the 1950s to meet the increased demand for affordable working-class housing. Richmond architect E. Tucker Carlton, who designed several FHA-insured apartment projects in Virginia, was the architect for the English Gardens Apartments project, while English Construction of Altavista was the contractor.
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: January 5, 2023
