The Oceana Neighborhood Historic District was officially placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on Sept. 18, 2017. The historic district nomination was initiated by the Virginia Beach Historic Preservation Commission and was compiled and submitted by architectural historian Debra McClane.
The Oceana Neighborhood Historic District was previously placed on the Virginia Landmarks Register in June of 2017. Placement on these registers is honorary and recognizes structures, sites and districts that embody the historical and cultural foundations of the state and nation.
The historic district encompasses approximately 70 acres of mostly residential buildings. The neighborhood originated as a late-19th-century rail stop and later developed as a desirable early-to-mid-20th-century residential community.
The district includes 135 contributing resources that are situated along a gridded pattern of streets that has its origins in I.E. Youngblood’s 1906 subdivision known as “Oceana Gardens.”
The architectural styles found in the neighborhood include Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, American Foursquare, and Craftsman Bungalow. Several of the houses are thought to have been mail order kit homes that would have been conveniently delivered on the nearby rail line.
The Oceana Neighborhood is the first residential historic district in Virginia Beach to be listed on the National Register. It is located east of First Colonial Road and west of North Oceana Boulevard between Virginia Beach and Southern boulevards.
The neighborhood once included school buildings, such as Oceana High School, and had an active commercial area nearby. These buildings are gone, but the residential area remains from one of Virginia Beach’s earliest 20th-century communities.
The Virginia Beach Historic Preservation Commission is a City Council-appointed body that advises Council on issues related to historic preservation. Please visit www.vbgov.com/historicpreservation for additional information about the Historic Preservation Commission.
source: City of Virginia Beach