Every year, the group Preservation Virginia publishes a list of historic places across the Commonwealth that its members believe are in danger of being demolished or compromised by development.
“The list, which has raised awareness for over 200 sites in Virginia, encourages individuals, organizations and local governments to advocate for their preservation and find solutions that will save these unique locations,” reads the website for the latest installment.
Two of the places on the list are in the greater Charlottesville area.
One is the entire Wertland Street Historic District in Charlottesville. Last year, Seven Development asked for permission to demolish a house at the center of the district in order to build a student housing building.
“A re-development would translate to 300 more UVa. students walking to classes, reducing vehicular traffic and relieving student housing pressures on other neighboring communities, such as 10th and Page,” wrote attorney Steven Blaine in an appeal to City Council after the Board of Architectural Review denied the request.
Council would later vote 4 to 1 to uphold the deny the request. City Councilor Natalie Oschrin cast the dissenting vote.
“I have been to the houses on Wertland Street,” Oschrin said. “They’re not glamorous, historic buildings. The floors are sticky, the windows are broken. It’s not a destination you go to on a walking tour of historical buildings.”
Now the group Preservation Piedmont has launched a campaign to find someone to purchase the structure.
“The challenge is to identify and secure a buyer for the centerpiece Wertenbaker House while pursuing best infill development practices that combine preservation and new construction in a dense urban district,” reads the Preservation Virginia website.
- Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review denies request to demolish 1301 Wertland Street, May 23, 2025
- Owner of 1301 Wertland files demolition appeal to Council, June 8, 2025
- Council upholds BAR’s decision to deny request to demolish historic house
Preservation Virginia also lists the entire alignment selected for the Joshua Falls-Yeat Transmission Line Corridor across multiple counties including Fluvanna County and Louisa County.
“Largely driven by the result of the exponential growth of the data center industry and the energy they require, this new transmission line would be the largest ever constructed by Dominion,” reads the website. “Eleven historic districts and several battlefields may be affected.”
This is for the Valley Link Transmission Project, a joint venture between Dominion Energy, FirstEnergy, and Transource. Several localities and groups are seeking to stop the project including Goochland County.
The other entries for 2026 are:
- Old Bennett School Complex – City of Manassas
- Wiehle Town Hall – Reston
- Historic Cave Spring Community – City of Roanoke
- Queen Miller Home – City of Staunton
- Powhatan’s Birthplace – Henrico County
- Downtown Historic District – City of Harrisonburg
- Westwood Neighborhood – City of Richmond
Visit Preservation Virginia to see the rest.
Before you go: The goal of Town Crier Productions is to increase awareness about what is happening at the local, regional, state, and federal government levels. Please share the work with others if you want people to know things. Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the May 19, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution.
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