The Grandin Road Commercial Historic District, also referred to as Grandin Village, is a historic district listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

located in the Raleigh Court neighborhood of the

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

of Roanoke,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, U.S.A. Centered at the intersection of Memorial Avenue and Grandin Road (

US 11 {{Infobox road , country=USA , type=US , route=11 , map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map , map_custom=yes , map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...

), Grandin Village has become one of the more eclectic areas of Roanoke, with an array of independently owned retail and dining establishments. The district has been noted as one of Roanoke's best examples of a

mixed-use Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...

urban village, and has been used as a local model for future mixed-use developments within the community.

History

Grandin Village traces its origin to 1906 with the establishment of the Virginia Heights Land Corporation. This land corporation was responsible for the initial development of Virginia Heights after the opening of the Memorial Bridge, which serves as a connection into downtown Roanoke. Development at the

T intersection A three-way junction (or three-way intersection) is a type of road intersection with three arms. A Y junction (or Y intersection) generally has three arms of equal size coming at an acute or obtuse angle to each other; while a T junction (or T ...

at Grandin and Memorial began with the construction of the original Virginia Heights Elementary School in 1907. By 1911, the Roanoke Street Railway Company completed a

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

line between Raleigh Court/Virginia Heights and downtown. With this streetcar extension, development of the commercial establishments of the present-day Grandin Village accelerated. In 1919, Virginia Heights was annexed into the city of Roanoke. The majority of the structures in the district were constructed between 1917 and 1945. During this period, the Grandin Village emerged as a major retail and service area serving the residents of southwest Roanoke. On July 31, 1948, streetcar service to the area was abandoned, which also marked the end of streetcar transit altogether in the city of Roanoke. Much of the post-1950s development within the district was designed to accommodate the automobile. After a period of decline in the mid-20th century, the district has since rebounded and has become a local retail and dining destination.

Grandin Theatre

The centerpiece of the Grandin Village is the Grandin Theatre, which opened in 1932. Designed by

Eubank & Caldwell Eubank is a surname of Old English origin in use since the 13th century, derived from the phrase yew-bank, referring to those who lived near a ridge of yew. Historical spellings include Ewbanke, Ewbanck, Ewbancke, Ewbanche, Ubank, Yuebanc, and Ewba ...

, its eclectic design features elements of various revival styles, and opened as Roanoke's first suburban movie house. The theatre operated continuously through November 11, 2001, when it closed its doors due to its deteriorating condition. After its closure, the Grandin Theatre Foundation raised enough money to renovate and reopen the theatre on October 20, 2002. The Grandin survives as the lone historic movie theatre in the

Roanoke Valley The Roanoke Valley ( ) in southwest Virginia is an area adjacent to and including the Roanoke River between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian Plateau to the west. The valley includes much of Roanoke County, as well as the ...

References

External links

The Grandin Theatre
official website {{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Roanoke, Virginia Streetcar suburbs Neoclassical architecture in Virginia Colonial Revival architecture in Virginia Spanish Revival architecture in Virginia Art Deco architecture in Virginia Streamline Moderne architecture in Virginia Buildings and structures in Roanoke, Virginia Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia