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Historic Homes & Older Neighborhoods
Victorians in Old Southwest, bungalows in Grandin and Wasena. Beautiful houses that come with rules, tax credits, and a century of maintenance.
Want to see what's for sale?
The market, briefly
What this costs in the Roanoke area
City of Roanoke homes sold at a publicly reported median of about $289,000 in January through March 2026 (Redfin data). With old houses, condition moves the price more than square footage.
Figures reflect publicly reported Roanoke-area activity and are for general orientation only — they are not an appraisal. Ask us for current numbers on your specific situation.
Know which line you are inside
The National Register is an honor roll; listing alone doesn't restrict a private owner. The city's H-2 overlay is the one with review. It covers most of Old Southwest and parts of Gainsboro, Hurt Park and Mountain View, and exterior changes, new construction and demolition there need Architectural Review Board approval.
Tax credits can pay for real work
Virginia's historic rehabilitation credit is 25 percent of eligible expenses. For a home you live in, the work has to cost at least 25 percent of its assessed value, the house has to be a certified historic structure, and you apply to the Department of Historic Resources before work starts.
A hundred-year-old house is a systems purchase
Most of these houses went up between the 1880s and the 1930s. The inspection that matters looks at wiring, plumbing, heating, the roof and the foundation, not the trim. A good old-house agent knows which inspectors and contractors actually work on them.
Materials matter to the review board
In July 2026 the board turned down, as submitted, a plan to replace nine windows on an Old Southwest house with vinyl and metal trim. If your plans include windows, siding or a porch, ask what has been approved on that street before you budget.
Use this
Questions to ask any agent about this
Ask these of any agent — one we introduce or one you found yourself. A specialist answers easily. Everyone else gets vague.
- Is this house inside the H-2 overlay, or only on the National Register?
- Is it a contributing building that could qualify for the state credit?
- How old are the wiring, plumbing, roof and heating, and what's original?
- What has the review board approved or denied on this block lately?
- Is the property in a FEMA flood zone, given the river and creeks nearby?
Neighborhoods that fit
A starting point. Details change — always verify current rules with the HOA and the locality.
| Neighborhood | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Old SouthwestHistoric · Victorian | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and foursquare houses in the 1985 Southwest Historic District, most of it inside the city's H-2 review overlay. |
| GainsboroHistoric | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | The city's oldest neighborhood, first settled in 1834, just north of downtown. A National Register district since 2005, with the Henry Street district inside it. |
| Grandin VillageBungalows · Walkable | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | 1920s craftsman bungalows and foursquares around the Grandin Road shops and the 1932 Grandin Theatre. |
| Raleigh CourtBungalows | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | A 1920s streetcar suburb of bungalows, foursquares and sidewalks, with Patrick Henry High School on Grandin Road. |
| WasenaHistoric · Riverside | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | An early-1900s suburb on the Roanoke River, on the National Register since 2012, with Wasena Park and the river greenway. |
| South RoanokeEstablished | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | At the foot of Mill Mountain, with Crystal Spring Avenue shops, the Mill Mountain Greenway, and Carilion Roanoke Memorial close by. |
| NorwichHistoric · Riverside | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | A small river neighborhood in the city's west end along the Roanoke River Greenway, listed on the National Register in 2024. |
| Downtown SalemHistoric · Walkable | Salem · City of Salem | Main Street from Broad Street to College Avenue is a National Register district, with Roanoke College a few blocks away and older houses spreading out from it. |
Where to look for this
Downtown & Old Southwest
Lofts above the City Market, Victorian blocks a few streets away, and the Star on the mountain over all of it. The walkable, historic heart of the city.
Explore this areaGrandin, Raleigh Court, Wasena & South Roanoke
The older southwest neighborhoods: 1920s bungalows, a 1932 movie theater, the river greenway, and Mill Mountain at the end of the street.
Explore this areaSalem, Glenvar & Catawba
Its own city, with its own schools and its own electric company. A real Main Street, Roanoke College, and the road out to McAfee Knob.
Explore this areaOr maybe you're really after…
Mountain-View Homes
The view is why you're here. The slope, the driveway, the well and the septic are what you're actually buying.
What to knowNew Construction
Much of the valley's new building is north of the city around Daleville, with pockets across Roanoke County. Your agent should know the builders as well as the floor plans.
What to knowAcreage & Land
From a few wooded acres off Route 221 to working farmland in Botetourt. Land is a different business from houses, and it needs a different agent.
What to knowLooking for historic homes?
Tell us the specifics and we'll introduce you to an agent who does this every week — not one who does it occasionally. Free, and no obligation whatsoever.
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