Neighborhood Patterns/Downtown Neighborhoods

Neighborhood Patterns
This section of the Pattern Book provides a general description of
Roanoke’s neighborhoods by discussing the history, development,
and dominant architectural styles and house types found within each
neighborhood. For the purposes of the Pattern Book, neighborhoods have
been classified by period of development:

• Downtown Neighborhoods: 1880s-1920s.

• Traditional Neighborhoods: 1920s-1940s.
• Suburban Neighborhoods: 1940s-present.

The neighborhood classifications will help residents identify which

type of neighborhood they live in, or decide where they may want to
live. Neighborhood classifications don’t always correspond to a specific
architectural pattern. As with most American cities, Roanoke has evolved
over time and neighborhoods and their patterns have redeveloped over
time. This results in some neighborhoods that are transitional, featuring a
combination of architectural elements from Downtown, Traditional, and
Suburban neighborhoods. The neighborhood classifications are intended as a
convenient starting point for further exploration. On the following page is a
map (Figure 1) of Roanoke neighborhoods grouped by classification.

Downtown The oldest neighborhoods in Roanoke are classified as Downtown

Neighborhoods neighborhoods which were constructed between 1880 and 1920. The
(1880s to 1920s) following neighborhoods, or portion of neighborhoods, are classified as
Downtown:

• Belmont • Mountain View

• Downtown • Norwich
• Fallon • Old Southwest
• Gainsboro • South Jefferson
• Hurt Park • West End
These neighborhoods developed at a time of heavy industrialization during
the late-nineteenth century Roanoke Valley railroad boom. The Atlantic,
Mississippi, and Ohio Railroad lines were constructed through the area during
the 1870s forming the Norfolk & Western Railway Company (N&W). The
population of the area soared from 669 in 1880, to more than 5,000 by 1884
making Roanoke the ‘Magic City’.
To manage growth and plot development, the Roanoke Land and
Improvement Company was formed to construct the Hotel Roanoke (which
required expansion before its initial construction was even complete), a
Photographs Courtesy of the Virginia Room

Page 4 Residential Pattern Book

 Neighborhood Patterns/Downtown Neighborhoods

Figure 1: Neighborhood Classifications

Residential Pattern Book Page 5

Neighborhood Patterns/Downtown Neighborhoods

railroad passenger station (O. Winston Link Museum), and homes for the
50’ expanding population. Between February of 1881 and June of 1882, 78 frame
and 60 brick houses were built by the company, with an additional 62 brick
Alley homes planned for construction as soon as contractors could be found to build
them.
These neighborhoods typically featured vernacular (the common building
style of a period or place) frame houses with front porches, small narrow lots,
fenced yards, and sidewalks. Since they predate the rise of the automobile
Garage era, Downtown neighborhoods feature grids of narrow streets with brick or
concrete sidewalks and closely spaced buidlings for shorter walking distance
between destinations. Alleys were located behind houses and served as
service corridors. The following development patterns are indicative of a
Rear Deck
or Porch Downtown neighborhood:
130’

Streetscape Patterns
• Grid of narrow, yield streets (20-30 feet) with parking on both sides.
• Granite and stone curbs, 3 inches in height, some replaced with concrete,
8 inches in height.
• Deciduous trees located in 6 inch to 3 foot planting strips.
Front • Concrete sidewalks, with some original brick sidewalks, 5 feet in width.
Porch
Sidewalk Lot Patterns
• Small, narrow lots that average 5,000 square feet.
Public Sidewalk
• Shallow, consistent front and side yard setbacks.
• Two-story houses with front porches as important living and social space.
30’ Wide Street
• Garages located to the rear of the property, accessed by an alley.
Driveways from the public street are not common.
• Yards defined by stone/concrete retaining walls, iron fences, or hedge
rows.
• Concrete or brick walkways connecting the front entry to the public
sidewalk.

10’-20’ 5’ 2’ 30’ 2’ 5’ 10’-20’

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 Neighborhood Patterns/Downtown Neighborhoods

Public Sidewalk

Principal Building

Accessory Structure

Alley
Parcel Line

Public Street

Typical Lot and Street Patterns in a Downtown Neighborhood

Mature Deciduous Tree Stone Retaining Wall

Iron Fence and Hedge Row

Downtown Streetscape Stone Curb and Brick Sidewalk

Residential Pattern Book Page 7

 Neighborhood Patterns/Traditional Neighborhoods

Traditional The next phase of development are classified as Traditional neighborhoods

Neighborhoods which were constructed between 1920 and 1940. The following
(1920s to 1940s) neighborhoods, or portions of them, are classified as Traditional:
• Gilmer • Riverland
• Grandin Court • Walnut Hill
• Greater Raleigh Court • Roundhill
• Harrison • South Roanoke
• Kenwood • Villa Heights
• Loudon-Melrose • Wasena
• Melrose-Rugby • Williamson Road
• Morningside

During this time period, more transportation options such as the street
railway system and the automobile were introduced, opening previously
inaccessible land to development. The Roanoke Railway & Electric
Company (RR&E Co.) reached its peak in 1925, operating approximately
50 electric cars with more than 30 miles of track. The automobile, which
revolutionized personal travel and ushered the decline of the streetcar, also
became affordable and popular during this time period.
Photographs Courtesy of the Virginia Room Like Downtown neighborhoods, Traditional neighborhoods still featured
a grid street system with alleys, street trees, and sidewalks. However,
50’ driveways began to appear and streets became wider to accommodate the
Alley automobile. Milled lumber also became available, which promoted easier
and faster residential construction. For the most part, Roanoke’s builders
produced a wide range of housing types and styles that included American
Foursquares, Bungalows, Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival. The
Garage
following development patterns are indicative of a Traditional neighborhood:
Driveway with Two
Concrete Strips Streetscape Patterns
• Interconnected network of narrow, yield streets (28-40 feet)
with parking on both sides.
• Concrete curbs, 3 to 8 inches in height.
Rear Deck or
• Deciduous trees located in 6 inch to 10 foot planting strips.
130’

Porch
• Concrete sidewalks, 4 to 5 feet in width.

Lot Patterns
• Variety of lot sizes that range from 5,000 to 7,000 square
feet.
Front Porch
• Shallow, consistent front and side yard setbacks.
Sidewalk • One and a half to two story homes. Porches depend more on
style, not lifestyle.
• Garages located to the rear of the property, accessed by an
Public Sidewalk
alley or a concrete strip driveway from the public street.
28’ Wide Street

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 Neighborhood Patterns/Traditional Neighborhood

Figure 2: Street Railway System Network

Melrose-Rugby Williamson
Road

Loudon-Melrose

Gilmer

Hurt Park
Fallon
Gainsboro

Norwich Downtown

Belmont
Old
Greater Southwest
Raleigh
Court
Morningside

Mill Mountain

South Roanoke

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Neighborhood Patterns/Traditional Neighborhood

• Yards defined by hedge rows or decorative concrete retaining walls when

necessitated by topography.
• Concrete walkways connecting the front entry to the public sidewalk.

20’ 5’ 3’ 28’ 3’ 5’ 20’

Public Sidewalk

Alley

Accessory Structure

Principal Building

Parcel Line

Public Street

Typical Lot and Street Pattern in a Traditional Neighborhood

Page 10 Residential Pattern Book

 Neighborhood Patterns/Suburban Neighborhood

Homes in a Traditional Neighborhood Traditional Streetscape Typical Landscaping

Suburban The newest neighborhoods in Roanoke are classified as Suburban

Neighborhoods neighborhoods with construction spanning from mid-1940 to present day.
(1940s to Present) The following neighborhoods, or portions of them, are classified as Suburban:

• Airport • Peachtree
• Cherry Hill • Preston Park
• Eastgate • Ridgewood Park
• Edgewood-Summit Hills • Riverdale
• Fairland • Roundhill
• Franklin-Colonial • Shenandoah West
• Gainsboro • South Roanoke
• Garden City • South Washington Heights
• Grandin Court • Southern Hills
• Greater Deyerle • Villa Heights
Glen Cove Subdivision in Roanoke Co.
Photograph Courtesy of the Virginia Room • Greater Raleigh Court • Wasena
• Hollins • Washington Heights
• Kenwood • Washington Park
• Mecca Gardens • Westview Terrace
• Melrose-Rugby • Wildwood
• Miller Court/Arrowood • Williamson Road
• Monterey • Wilmont
• Norwood

Suburban Streetscape Following World War II, American cities adopted new settlement patterns
that typify postwar residential growth across the United States: the suburbs.
Whereas residences, commerce, and industry stood shoulder to shoulder
in older areas, Suburban neighborhoods were built farther from places of
employment and entertainment, as the automobile allowed people to travel
greater distances in shorter periods of time. Streets tend to be curvilinear
with few connections. Cul-de-sacs are nearly synonymous with suburban
neighborhoods. They provide access to individual homes through local dead-
end streets, while restricting heavy automobile traffic to main arteries on the
Suburban Streetscape

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Neighborhood Patterns/Suburban Neighborhoods

60’
periphery of subdivisions. In many car-based suburbs,
130’ the ability to walk to and from shops or to neighboring
houses diminished as dependence on the automobile
increased. Eventually, sidewalks disappeared from
most suburban developments.
The design of homes also changed with advances
in technology. Front loaded garages and driveways
became prevalent, while alleys disappeared. The
prime social space moved from the front porch to
the family room with the advent of television and air
Rear Deck
or Porch conditioning. Outdoor living area moved to the back
250’

yard and patios, decks, and privacy fences began

to appear. The following development patterns are
Front Loaded indicative of a Suburban neighborhood:
Garage
Sidewalk Streetscape Patterns
• Curved streets with limited connections and cul-
Driveway
de-sacs.
• Rolled or block edged concrete curbs, 7 inches in
height, where present.
40’ Wide Street
• Tree canopy provided in private yards, rarely in
the public right-of-way.
• Sidewalks typically absent.
Driveway with a Front
Loaded Garage

Cul-de-Sac

Principal Building

Parcel Line eet

ic Str
Publ

Typical Lot and Street Pattern in a Suburban

Neighborhood

Page 12 Residential Pattern Book

 Neighborhood Patterns/Transitional Neighborhoods

Lot Patterns
• Large lots, 7,000 square feet or greater.
• Deep front and side yard setbacks.
• Sprawling homes often one-story or split level with small or non-existent
front porches.
• Front-loaded, attached garages accessed by a large, concrete or asphalt
driveway.
• Wood privacy or chain link fence enclosing the rear yard.
• Concrete walkway connecting the front entry to the public street and the
driveway.

30’ 26’-40’ 30’

Suburban Streetscape Suburban Streetscape Front Loaded Garage

Suburban Landscaping
Concrete Curb Suburban Streetscape

Transitional Many neighborhoods transition from one classification to another for a

Neighborhoods variety of reasons. In some cases, these neighborhoods began as Downtown
or Traditional neighborhoods, then experienced redevelopment or other
disruptive changes. In other instances, lots were created during one era and
then built on during another. This could result in a suburban style house on a
narrow, tree lined street with sidewalks and an alley.

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Neighborhood Patterns/Identify Your Neighborhood

Identify Your Neighborhood

The neighborhood map shown at the beginning of the Neighborhoods
section is the first step to identifying your neighborhood type. This map
is a general guide as development changes over time and there are no
truly defined boundaries. The grid on the next page will help guide you in
determining your neighborhood type. Follow the steps below to complete the
grid and gain an understanding of your neighborhood.

Walk around and observe your immediate neighborhood - about two

Exercise
blocks in each direction. Take this book with you and complete the grid by
filling in the check boxes that correspond to what you see.

Step 1: Locate your home on the Neighborhood Map.

Step 2: Get out and walk around your neighborhood.
Step 3: Identify street patterns.
Step 4: Determine street width.
Step 5: Identify sidewalks.
Step 6: Identify driveways.
Step 7: Identify garages.
Step 8: Identify lot sizes.

As you go through each of these steps, fill in the blank check box
appropriately. For example, if you live in a neighborhood that has a grid
or connected street pattern with alleys, then check the boxes next to these
items. Checking these two boxes will indicate that these are typically found
in either Downtown or Traditional neighborhoods. If your neighborhood has
curvilinear streets or cul-de-sacs, this indicates that you most likely live in a
Suburban neighborhood.

Fill in the check boxes to the best of your ability and review your results.
Once you have completed this process you should be able to tell if the
features that are present in your immediate neighborhood are typical of
Downtown, Traditional or Suburban neighborhoods. Although there might be
elements of all three neighborhoods in your neighborhood, by completing the
entire grid you should be able to determine which characteristics are prevalent
in your immediate area.

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 Neighborhood Patterns/Identify Your Neighborhood

NeighborhoodCharacteristics

Downtown
Traditional
Suburban
Check
StreetPatterns
Box

Grid/ConnectedStreets
AlleysPresent
CurvilinearStreets
CuldeSac
StreetPavementWidth Check
Hint:
(CurbtoCurb) Box
As you walk around your
neighborhood, one important Narrow20'to30'
piece of information that will Medium28'to40'
help you complete this matrix Wide26'to50'
is to know the length of your
Check
pace or stride. Knowing this Sidewalks
will help you to judge distances Box
such as street width and lot BrickSidewalks
width conveniently without ConcreteSidewalks
having to use a measuring tape.
NoSidewalk
Typically, your full stride is
equal to half your height. So a Check
Driveways
6 foot tall person typically has Box
a 3 foot stride. Measure the NoDrivewayPresent
length of your standard pace
prior to your neighborhood
UnͲPavedDriveway
tour and this will assist ConcreteStripDriveway
you tremendously with this PavedDriveway
exercise. Check
Garages
Box
NoGaragePresent
Detached
Attached
Check
LotSizes
Box
5,000SquareFeet(s.f.)
5,000Ͳ7,000s.f.
Greaterthan7,000s.f.

Residential Pattern Book Page 15