Southern Architectural Splendor

The one square block his?toric dis?trict before you is Portsmouth's Olde Towne. The dis?trict dates to 1752 when Portsmouth was founded by William Craw?ford. Olde Towne con?tains one of the largest col?lec?tions of historic build?ings in Vir?ginia fea?tur?ing Colo?nial, Federal, Greek Revival, Geor?gian, and Vic?to?rian architec?tural styles.

Olde Towne is the cen?ter?piece of Portsmouth's Civil War his?tory. Sev?eral of the buildings found through?out the dis?trict played an impor?tant role in events that unfolded in Portsmouth dur?ing the war.

The 1846 Cour?t?house was once the site of gov?ern?ment in old Nor?folk County. Before the Civil War, slaves were sold at the front of the build?ing, and it was here that a vote was taken approv?ing secession.

On April 19, 1861, the day before the Fed?eral evacuation of Gosport Navy Yard, mem?bers of Portsmouth's mili?tia com?pa?nies slept with their weapons in the cour?t?house. The build?ing was used as a hos?pi?tal by Union troops from 1862 until 1865.

The Macon House Hotel knew both gai?ety and despair during the war. From its Mid?dle Street porch the Virginia Defend?ers, a local vol?un?teer infantry company, accepted a flag from the ladies of Portsmouth. After the Con?fed?er?ates evac?u?ated Portsmouth in 1862, the Fed?er?als used the Macon House as a troop quar?ters and hos?pi?tal. The names of Fed?eral sol?diers carved into the hotel's floor are still visible.

Two houses, Pass House and the William H. Peters House, played a major role in the Union occu?pa?tion of Portsmouth. The William H. Peters House served as headquar?ters for Major Gen?eral Ben?jamin Franklin But?ler while he com?manded the Union forces in Portsmouth. Local leg?end claims that But?ler earned his nick?name of "Spoons" while in Portsmouth because of the sud?den disap?pear?ance of fam?ily sil?ver?ware when homes were occu?pied by his troops. The James Mur?dough Home, known as the Pass House, took on an omi?nous air when it became the head?quar?ters of the Union Adju?tant Gen?eral. In order to leave the city, cit?i?zens first had to report here and secure a pass.

These his?toric build?ings and the many oth?ers that line Olde Towne's streets pro?vide a glimpse into what a South?ern city looked like dur?ing the Civil War.

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Show me all markers in:  Portsmouth, VA  |  23704  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

Arnold's British Defenses, 1781
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Crawford Bay
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Collier's Raid
Portsmouth Naval Hospital

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