Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 03/20/2014
NRHP Listing Date 05/19/2014
NRHP Reference Number 14000239
Overlooking the Virginia Beach oceanfront since 1927, the Cavalier Hotel is the most iconic building in the city, representing its development from a sleepy seaside town to a nationally known beach resort. An excellent example of Jeffersonian-inspired Classical Revival architecture, it is the last of the pre-World War II beachfront hotels in the city. Embodying the “Roaring Twenties” era of luxury and an elite clientele, the Cavalier Hotel distinguished itself from other grand hotels of its day through its prominent perch overlooking the Atlantic and its dominance over the then-small town of Virginia Beach. During World War II the Navy used the hotel as a radar training school. After the war, it re-opened as a resort hotel.
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: November 23, 2021
