This planned former railroad town was developed by the Norfolk & Western Railway Company in 1888; its commercial district, which runs parallel to the railroad track and former railyard, evolved through the early-to-mid twentieth century and represents a unique moment in the state’s industrial history.
Commonwealth
Crewe Commercial Historic District
Architectural Survey
Community Engagement
Historic Building Renovation
Historic Research
Historic Resource Documentation
National Register Nominations
Crewe Commercial Historic District
Partners
The Town of Crewe
Nottoway County
Virginia Department of Historic Resources
National Park Service
Project Goals
The Town of Crewe hired CPG to complete a National Register Nomination of its commercial historic district.
Project Design
The project’s funding source, the National Park Service’s Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund, added an a-typical element of scope for a National Register nomination project.
As part of its survey work, CPG staff prepared disaster risk data for all surveyed resources. This information included visible signs of hurricane damage, flood zone locations, and other hazards present during fieldwork.
Challenges & Accomplishments
Both the Town of Crewe and the CPG project team had staffing changes during the preparation of this nomination, but everyone persevered and completed the project.
The Crewe Commercial Historic District is an excellent example of a rare intact planned railroad town and was approved and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.