A Confederate monument/statue erected in 1905 stands near the old Princess Anne County Courthouse in Virginia Beach. Several local organizations raised funds to have the statue made including the Princess Anne Confederate Veterans Camp 96 and the Princess Anne United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter 435.

Recently, such statues have come under increased scrutiny in Virginia and other states as some citizens have protested the public display of objects that they feel represent the enslavement of and institutionalized discrimination against African American citizens.  The counter argument presented by other citizens is that the statues represent their heritage and the sacrifices made by their ancestors to fight a war to protect their families and homes.  After a peaceful protest was held on August 24, 2017 at the Princess Anne County statue, the Virginia Beach City Council requested that the Historic Preservation Commission look at the issue and provide recommendations.

The Commission held a public comment session at their September 6, 2017 general meeting.  At the meeting, 45 citizens provided their perspective of the statue. Several more provided letters and e-mails with their viewpoints. The Commission convened a committee of Virginia Beach citizens, the Princess Anne County Confederate Statue Roundtable (PACCSR), to review the public input and discuss the related issues. The PACCSR developed recommendations that they presented to the Commission in November 2019.  The Commission accepted the recommendations and presented them to City Council on January 28, 2020.

Currently, § 15.2-1812 of the Code of Virginia prohibits the removal of war memorials, such as the Confederate statue in Virginia Beach.  The Commission's recommendations are to provide historical context for the statue and the Courthouse, as well as to design and develop a park near that location with elements that explore a broader history of Virginia Beach.  The links provide additional information on the PACCSR and the recommendations to City Council. There is an additional link to view a brief video about the process and recommendations.

• PACCSR membership list
• Recommendations

​Meeting Date	Meeting ​Notes
​February 16, 2018	​​​​​​​​
​March 09, 2018	​
​April 13, 2018	​
​May 04, 2018	​
​May 30, 2019	​

The Virginia Beach Historic Preservation Commission established a Research Grant Program in 2016 to encourage scholarship about persons, places and events significant to the history of the City of Virginia Beach, Princess Anne County and the related earlier historic and prehistoric eras in this area of southeastern Virginia.  The grant program supports research on local history that provides a final report or other stated product, such as a historic marker or interpretive sign. 

The Research Grant Program has successfully helped to fund several state historical highway markers, curriculum development in the local public school system and important new research about the diverse history of our community. The Commission approved six grants in 2016 totaling $10,000; four grants in 2017 totaling $8,460; and, 9 grants in 2018 totaling $13,000.  One supplemental grant of $2,425 has been provided in 2019.

Read more information on many of the completed research projects. 

Applications for the 2019/20 grant cycle will be accepted July 8 through August 15, 2019.  Click here to download a grant application form. Completed applications may be submitted in person to the Historic Preservation Planner or in PDF format as an attachment and sent via e-mail to mreed@vbgov.com.  The Historic Preservation Commission encourages the pursuit of research projects that increase our knowledge of Virginia Beach and that help to raise awareness about the rich and diverse history and historic resources.

Please contact Mark Reed, Historic Preservation Planner, for additional information about the 2019/20 Research Grant Program – mreed@vbgov.com; 757-385-8573.

2019

​Hearing Date	​Agenda	​Minutes
​January 9, 2019	​	​
​February 6, 2019	​	​
​March 6, 2019	​	​
​April 3, 2019	​	​
​May 1, 2019	​	​
​June 5, 2019 - CANCELLED	​	​
​September 4, 2019	​	​
​October 2, 2019	​	​
​November 6, 2019	​	​
​December 4, 2019	​	​

2018

​Hearing Date	​Agenda	​Minutes
​January 10, 2018
​February 7, 2018	​	​
​March 7, 2018	​	​
​April 4, 2018	​	​
​May 2, 2018	​	​
​June 6, 2018	​	​
​September 5, 2018	​	​
​October 3, 2018	​	​
​November 7, 2018	​	​
​December 5, 2018	​	​

2017

Hearing Date	​Agenda	​Minutes
​January 4, 2017	​	​
​​February 1, 2017	​	​
​March 1, 2017	​	​
​​April 5, 2017	​	​
​​May 3, 2017	​	​
​June 7, 2017	​	​
​September 6, 2017	​	​
​​October 4, 2017	​	​
​November 1, 2017	​	​
​December 6, 2017	​	​

The Virginia Beach Historical Register was established by the Virginia Beach City Council in 1999. The register recognizes buildings, structures and sites that are important to and/or illustrative of the historical development of the city and its predecessor jurisdictions. Nomination/application to the register is voluntary and must have the consent of the property owner. A property’s standing on the register is honorary and carries no restrictions or regulatory oversight.

Properties placed on the register are recognized by the issuance of a certificate that notes their status as a local historic landmark and their contribution to the character of Virginia Beach. Property owners also receive a bronze plaque to identify the building’s placement on the register.

Applications are accepted by the Department of Planning and Community Development on an ongoing basis. Once the application package has been determined to be complete it is forwarded to the Historic Preservation Commission’s Historical Register Committee for review and evaluation.  The Committee will schedule a site visit to the applicant property as part of their review process. A link to an Application Form  may be found at the bottom of this page.

Please contact Mark Reed, Historic Preservation Planner, for additional information about the Virginia Beach Historical Register – mreed@vbgov.com; 757-385-8573.

​Virginia Beach Historical Register List

Virginia Beach Historical Register and Nomination/Application Form

The City of Virginia Beach was designated as a Certified Local Government by the National Park Service on August 25, 2016. The Certified Local Government (CLG) program establishes a partnership between the local government, the federal historic preservation program and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which in Virginia is the Department of Historic Resources (DHR). Designation as a CLG gives Virginia Beach a way to participate more formally in the state and national historic preservation programs.

The Goals of the Virginia CLG Program are:

• Promote viable communities through preservation
• Recognize and reward communities with sound local preservation programs
• Establish credentials of quality for local preservation programs
  

Virginia Beach meets the requirements for its CLG designation by:

• Having a historic district ordinance that – defines district boundaries, establishes a review board, identifies actions for review, and provides for the protection of local historic resources
• Having a review board that administers the ordinance and a preservation commission that works as an advocate for preservation in the City
• Continuing to survey local heritage resources
• Promoting public participation in the local heritage stewardship program
• Reporting annually on the performance of its CLG responsibilities
  

Surveys of Virginia Beach's Heritage Resources:

• VB Architectural Survey Northern Half 1992
• VB Architectural Survey Southern Half 1993
• VB Sears Kit Home Survey 2006
• VB Archaeological Assessment Northern Half 2018
• VB Architectural Survey Northern Half 2018