Virginia Landmarks Register honors Virginia Beach historic sites [Video]

The two Virginia Beach districts are among 12 recent additions to the Virginia Landmarks Register. The DHR called the Chesapeake Beach Historic District a rarity.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Two historic districts in Virginia Beach are joining the evergrowing Virginia Landmarks Register, which honors the historic and cultural significance of a site.

The Chesapeake Beach Historic District and the Pleasant Ridge School Historic District are among the 12 latest historic sites to make the list, according to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR).

With the Chesapeake Beach Historic District being one of the oldest bayside beachfront neighborhoods, it’s credited for growing the city of Virginia Beach, or what was then Princess Anne County. Further, the 20th-century beachfront neighborhood’s development was shaped by its surrounding natural environment like the Chesapeake Bay and Pleasure House Lake.

Unlike many of the nearby communities, the neighborhood did not lean into commercial resort developments.

“Chesapeake Beach’s reputation as a residential …