Shown above is a map of the Town of South Boston with areas within the Historic District in blue and the areas under study for future inclusion in green.
South Boston is looking to expand the boundaries of its National Register of Historic Places and its Virginia Landmark historic district and on Tuesday afternoon, Phil Thomason, president of Thomason & Associates explained that his company expects to nominate another 140-150 properties for inclusion in the programs. His survey should be completed by December, he said, noting that another public hearing will be held before the project is completed.
"This is an honorary designation with no restrictions to property owners," explained Ann Miller Andrus, Director of the Capital Region Preservation Office of Richmond. "This helps to tell a more complete story of the architectural history of the town and the tax credits that it offers drives revitalization efforts," she added. "Those brown historic signs are not only educational," she said, "but they offer economic benefits which are supported by the program in attracting tourism." Included in the new nominations will be the area on Marshall Avenue, extending from C.H. Friend Elementary School to Haskins Street, North Main Street from the currently designated area to its intersection with Hamilton Boulevard, the Church Hill Project area including Mizpah Church, the site of the Crossing of the Dan, the Tobacco Heritage Trail and Hill's Tavern and the New Brick Warehouse vicinity. Barbara Bass, president of the Halifax County Historic Society, asked Thomason to also look at the houses built on Cotton Mill Hill which were constructed for employees of the mill. She also asked about what she had been told was the first fire station in the town. (That structure is located off Third Street and now resembles an old garage.)  Thomason stressed that he is looking for structures that are at least 50 years old and the surveys are focused on districts, rather than individual structures. The districts, he noted, are taken collectively to contribute to the history of the area. A National Register Historic District, he explained, is a collection of buildings that share a similar period of development and architectural character. The boundaries are determined by evaluating physical, natural boundaries such as rivers, lakes, hills, valleys, etc and man-made features as roads or political boundaries as town incorporation lines, wards, etc. Also under evaluation is the age of the buildiings, as well as their architectural style and association with famous persons, cultural groups or historic events.
South Boston received a $10,500 grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources which the Town matched with a $7,500 contribution to fund the architectural surveys in areas that lie adjacent to the Historical District which was completed some 20 years