Riverland/Walnut Hills, Roanoke, Virginia

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Riverland/Walnut Hills is a Roanoke, Virginia neighborhood located in southeast Roanoke south of the Roanoke River. It borders the neighborhoods of South Jefferson and South Roanoke on the west, Morningside on the east and Mill Mountain on the south. [1] The neighborhood is divided into the Walnut Hill area at the base of Mill Mountain, and the Riverland area along the Roanoke River, with Virginia State Route 116 running through the entire area. [1] As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Riverland/Walnut Hills has a population of 1,033. [2]

Contents

History

With its oldest home dating from 1885, the initial wave development within Riverland/Walnut Hills occurred in the 1920s with many homes constructed in the Arts and Crafts Bungalow and the American Foursquare styles. [2] The Woman's Civic Betterment Club also worked with city planner John Nolen on the Riverland/Walnut Hills, Roanoke, Virginia neighborhood in promoting sanitation and overcrowding. At the turn of the century, the WCBC was concerned that in 1907-1912, Riverland housed railway workers and their families, and contributed to overcrowding and unhealthy tenement conditions. [3]


After a period of slowdown, construction would once again pick-up in the 1940s-50s with many structures constructed in the Cottage and Ranch styles. [2]

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The Woman's Civic Betterment Club of Roanoke, Virginia, was started in 1907 to improve the sanitation and civic life in Roanoke and the surrounding area. The Club issued a press release claiming that the “object of this organization shall be to gain the co-operation of all loyal and progressive citizens in making the Magic City a city beautiful, to promote health and cleanliness, to advance present conditions, and to point to higher ideals.” The WCBC is significant in southwestern Virginia because it was an early woman's organization to push for political change and political power at a time when women had little or no power except by persuading men to change their minds.

References

  1. 1 2 "Explore Roanoke Neighborhood Map: Riverland/Walnut Hills". City of Roanoke Department of Neighborhoods. Archived from the original on 2012-12-04. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  2. 1 2 3 "Riverland/Walnut Hill Neighborhood Plan" (PDF). City of Roanoke Planning Division. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  3. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900, July 12, 2013. "Riverland Historic District." Page 8.