The next meeting in the process of nominating the Fairmount area for both the Virginia and National Registries of Historic Places (and follow-up to last February’s meeting) took place Tuesday night at EDI. Ann Andrus and Kristin Kirchen of the Department of Historic Resources presented information about the application process so far and opened the floot for public comment.

The city has prepared a nomination for Fairmount for both the Virginia and National Registries of Historic Places. The application includes a house-by-house listing and a history of the neighborhood. The application will be soon be available on the DHR web site.

The Fairmount area meets 2 of the National Register criteria: A (for general history) & C (for architectural interest). Plotted in 1890 by the Fairmount Land Company, the nighborhood began as a speculative, planned community. The area reflects the architecture trends of 1890s to the 1940s.

The area is listed as significant for the years 1890-1946, with some buildings dating as early as the 1840s. The boundaries of the proposed district have been drawn to include the greatest concentration of historic building, and include the original plots and land to the north added as the community grew.

The listing would be an honorific designation, intended to educate about the area and to encourage folks to preserve properties in the area. This is a statement that the area is worthy of preservation. Benefits of the designation include that owners of contributing buildings may voluntarily apply for tax credits towards rehabilitation. The designation carries no restrictions unless the owner applies for the tax credits.

At a meeting on December 5 in the Halsey Lecture Hall of the Virginia Historical Society, the State Review Board and the Board of Historic Resources will consider the district for recommendation to the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. The public is welcome to attend this 10AM meeting.

For more information, contact Ann Andrus in the Capitol Region Preservation Office at (804)367-2323 ext 133.

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[ Medium-resolution version map of Fairmount. ]
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map of Fairmount Neighborhood Historic District Survey