133-0693 Driver Historic District

For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF

VLR Listing Date 09/15/1992

NRHP Listing Date 04/07/1995

NRHP Reference Number 95000394

Centered on the main intersection of this Tidewater village, the Driver Historic District is an interesting collection of small country stores and several examples of domestic types that reflect the continuing influence of earlier Tidewater dwellings. The earliest structure is the Parker House, built between 1820 and 1840, a side-passage, two-story frame dwelling. The majority of Driver’s buildings were constructed in the late 1880s, after the completion of the Norfolk and Carolina Railroad. The railroad expanded the market for local farm products and created new jobs in the area. At this time, the settlement was named after E. J. Driver, who operated a general store here. Punctuating the district are two Gothic-style churches built between 1890 and 1910 (the Berea Congregational Christian Church is pictured above). This district also has two school buildings built in 1926. The tiny village in the modern city of Suffolk (formerly Nansemond County) maintains a simple unassertive character typical of an eastern Virginia crossroads 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: August 20, 2021