Nomination Form
Tucked in the narrow valley of Greenbriar Branch, at the base of Gap Mountain, the village of Newport in Giles County began in the 1830s as a transportation crossroads and regional commercial center along the Cumberland Gap Turnpike. Development in the Newport Historic District focused around a small industrial center consisting of a tanyard, oil mill, gristmill, and blacksmith shop. Newport also became an overnight stop for travelers along their way to area mineral springs. The establishment of the Newport Woolen Mill and the nearby Sinking Creek Furnace in the 1870s led to much new construction. Today, the Newport Historic District consists of approximately sixty-six buildings, of which fifty-three are significant to its historic character. Most of the buildings are frame, free-standing dwellings or stores with decorative wooden trim. Many were built after 1902, when a fire destroyed most of the buildings in the heart of the community. The Newport Historic District serves as the centerpiece for the Greater Newport Rural Historic District.
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
Nomination Form
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia
