Roanoke is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is located in Southwest Virginia along the Roanoke River, in the Blue Ridge range of the greater Appalachian Mountains, approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of the Virginia–North Carolina border and 250 miles (400 km) southwest of Washington, D.C., along Interstate 81. At the 2020 census, Roanoke's population was 100,011, making it the largest city in Virginia west of the state capital Richmond. It is the principal municipality of the Roanoke metropolitan area, which had a 2020 population of 315,251.
The Roanoke Star, also known as the Mill Mountain Star, is the world's largest freestanding illuminated man-made star. It was constructed at the top of Mill Mountain in Roanoke, Virginia in 1949 by the local merchants association to draw publicity and trade to the city. The star was initially intended to be lit only during Christmas seasons, but was popular enough with the citizens of Roanoke that it is illuminated every night year-round. It stands 88.5 feet (27.0 m) tall and weighs 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg), rests 846 feet (258 m) above the city of Roanoke, and is visible for 60 miles (97 km) from the air. Its 2,000 feet (610 m) of neon tubing are typically lit entirely in white, but have the ability to shine solely in red, or in red, white, and blue. The star has become a symbol of Roanoke and the source of its nickname "Star City of the South", and it along with its accompanying scenic overlook are popular tourist destinations in the area.
The Virginian Railway Passenger Station, also known as the Virginian Station is a former rail station listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the South Jefferson neighborhood of the independent city of Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.A. Located at the intersection of Jefferson Street SE and Williamson Road, the Virginian Station served as a passenger station for the Virginian Railway between 1910 and 1956. The station was the only station constructed with brick along the entire length of the Virginian's 608 miles (978 km) network. It was severely damaged by fire on January 29, 2001.
Downtown is the central business district of Roanoke, Virginia, United States. Developed after the completion of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in 1882, the Downtown core forms the geographic center of the city and the center of business for the Roanoke Valley and Southwest Virginia, the Roanoke City Market, the Roanoke Downtown Historic District and many other attractions and amenities.
The Roanoke Downtown Historic District is a national historic district located in the Downtown Roanoke area of Roanoke, Virginia. It encompasses 122 contributing buildings. It includes a variety of commercial, institutional, social, and governmental buildings and structures from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. Notable buildings include the Roanoke City Public Library, the YMCA Central Branch Building, First Christian Church (1925), the Central Church of the Brethren (1924), Tomnes Cawley Funeral Home (1928), Thomas B. Mason Building (1961), Peerless Candy Co., City Hall / Municipal Building (1915), Roanoke Times Building (1892), Anchor Building / Shenandoah Building (1910), Greene Memorial Methodist Church (1890), and United States Post Office and Courthouse (1930). Located in the district are the separately listed Patrick Henry Hotel, Boxley Building, Campbell Avenue Complex Historic District, Colonial National Bank, and First National Bank.
Roanoke City Market Historic District, also known as City Market District, is a national historic district located in the Downtown Roanoke area of Roanoke, Virginia.
Hilltop is a historic building on the Mary Baldwin University campus in Staunton, Virginia. The original section was built about 1810, with a large brick wing added in 1904. It is a two-story, five bay, stuccoed brick building. It features a huge two-story hexastyle portico with massive Tuscan order columns. Originally built as a private dwelling, it was converted to dormitory use. In 1991, it was completely restored thanks to the patronage of heiresses Margaret Hunt Hill and Caroline Rose Hunt.
The Patrick Henry Hotel is a Colonial Revival former hotel listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, United States. Located at 617 South Jefferson Street at the southern end of Downtown, the Patrick Henry was designed by William Lee Stoddart and opened in 1925. The building now serves as apartments, office space, and a restaurant in the former lobby rebranded simply The Patrick Henry. It is located in the Roanoke Downtown Historic District.
Salem Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church at E. Main and Market Streets in Salem, Virginia. It was built in 1851–1852, and is a Greek Revival style temple form church. It has a slightly projecting Ionic order portico in antis with belfry. The church owned the Salem Presbyterian Parsonage from 1854 to 1941.
Dalton Theatre Building is a historic theatre building located at Pulaski, Pulaski County, Virginia. It was built in 1921, and is a three-story, five bay, brick Commercial Style building with a flat roof topped by a one-story square central tower. The theater was initially built for vaudeville, and had the largest stage of any theaters on the rail line from Richmond, Virginia to Tennessee. Following the development of talking films it was converted into a movie theater and showed films into the 1960s.
Old Norfolk City Hall, also known as the Seaboard Building and U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, is a historic city hall located at Norfolk, Virginia. It was built in 1898–1900, and is a three-story faced with rusticated stone and yellow brick in a Neo-Palladian Revival style. It features a central pedimented engaged portico with Corinthian order pilasters that contains the main entrance. The building housed a post office and Federal courts until they moved to the Walter E. Hoffman United States Courthouse about 1935. Title to the building was transferred from the U.S. government to the city of Norfolk in 1937, when it was converted into a city hall.
Buena Vista is a historic plantation house located in Roanoke, Virginia. It was built about 1840, and is a two-story, brick Greek Revival style dwelling with a shallow hipped roof and two-story, three-bay wing. The front facade features a massive two-story diastyle Greek Doric order portico. Buena Vista was built for George Plater Tayloe and his wife, Mary (Langhorne) Tayloe. George was the son of John Tayloe III and Anne Ogle Tayloe of the noted plantation Mount Airy in Richmond County and who built The Octagon House in Washington D.C. The property was acquired by the City of Roanoke in 1937, and was used as a city park and recreation center.
Boxley–Sprinkle House is a historic home located at Roanoke, Virginia. It was built in 1907, and is a two-story, five bay, Colonial Revival style brick dwelling. It has a central projecting bay, full height entrance portico and hipped roof. The house was originally constructed in the Victorian style, with the entrance facing 26th Street with a corner turret, projecting polygonal bays and a wraparound porch. In the 1940s, the house was redesigned in the Colonial Revival style and the entrance was changed to face Crystal Spring Avenue.
Colonial National Bank, also known as Colonial American National Bank-Colonial Arms, is a historic bank and office building located at Roanoke, Virginia. It was built in 1926–1927, and is a 12-story, granite and gray-enamel brick building in the Neoclassical style. The base is formed by the first three stories of regular granite ashlar; the shaft is formed by the next seven stories of unornamented gray-enamel brick; and the capital is formed by the last two stories which are ornamented. The building has a three-story annex built in two stages in 1949 and 1959. The building was Roanoke's tallest building for nearly fifty years.
Harrison School is a historic public school building for African-American students located at Roanoke, Virginia. It was built in 1916, and is a three-story, brick public school building, with three-bay, two-story wings added in 1922. The original section consists of a 13-bay rectangular block flanked by projecting wings, five bays on the sides. The building symbolizes the pioneering efforts of Lucy Addison and other black educators in Southwest Virginia to offer academic secondary instruction to all children regardless of race.
Norfolk and Western Railway Company Historic District is a national historic district located in Roanoke, Virginia. It encompasses three contributing buildings constructed by the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W). They are the Neoclassical Revival style General Office Building–South ; the Art Deco period General Office Building–North (1931); and the Moderne style Passenger Station.
Salem Avenue–Roanoke Automotive Commercial Historic District is a national historic district located of Roanoke, Virginia. It encompasses 59 contributing buildings in the southwestern part of the City of Roanoke. The district includes a variety of buildings having automotive, warehouse, light industrial and residential uses. Most of the buildings are small-scale, one or two-story brick or concrete block buildings, with the majority built between about 1920 and 1954. Notable buildings include the former Enfield Buick Dealership, Lindsay-Robinson & Co. Building (1918), Fulton Motor Company Auto Sales & Service (1928), Lacy Edgerton Motor Company, Roanoke Motor Car Company, and Fire Department No. 3 (1909).
Old Roanoke County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at Salem, Virginia. It was built in 1909-1910 and is a three-story, Classical Revival-style, yellow brick building. The front facade features a three-story, tetra-style Ionic order portico. The courthouse has a hipped roof topped by a cupola, which is topped by an eagle. A rear addition was built in 1948–1949. Also on the property is the contributing 1910 Civil War Memorial, that consists of a granite shaft topped by the figure of a Confederate soldier. The building housed Roanoke County, Virginia county offices until they moved to a new building in 1985.
Gustave A. Sedon, also known as Gustavus Sedon, was a carpenter and craftsman in nineteenth century Roanoke, Virginia. He is noted for his work on various public buildings, plantation homes, and university structures. Sedon is known primarily for his ornamental work on buildings, many of which are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The American Viscose Plant Historic District is an industrial park and historic district located in Roanoke, Virginia. The site is the location of the former American Viscose Corporation rayon processing plant that once employed over 5,000 and for a time was reportedly the largest rayon producing mill in the world. The plant's construction began in 1916 with the building of the first of what became three large processing plants of two spinning units each; the second began construction in 1921 and the third in 1925. With the plant's viability decreased by newer facilities elsewhere and rayon's usage supplanted by nylon and other synthetic fabrics, the factory closed in 1958. The property was purchased by an assortment of Roanoke investors in 1961 and has been operated as an industrial park since.
