Nomination Form
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, an excellent example of Classical Revival-style architecture, is the work of German-trained architect Carl Ruehrmund, and is a centerpiece of the Newport News Downtown Historic District. It is home to the oldest Roman Catholic parish in the city of Newport News and was established in 1881 as a downtown mission, eventually opening two parochial schools that shaped leaders of the Catholic community. St. Vincent de Paul also is significant for its association with Thomas Fortune Ryan and his wife, Ida Mary Barry Ryan, who gave more than $20 million to Roman Catholic causes. The Ryans also donated buildings to St. Vincent de Paul (which have since been demolished) for its original convent and girls’ school. The church is also significant for its association with Father Lloyd Franklin Stephenson, the first African American pastor of the parish, who died in 2004. St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church continues today to serve a diverse community.
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
