Portsmouth, VA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

The marker rule sits in the district-specific standards of the Historic Districts section of the Zoning Ordinance, § 40.2-206, which covers five districts: Truxtun, Cradock, Port Norfolk, Olde Towne and Park View. Subsection (G)(5)(a) says historic markers shall be made available to the owner of any building designated as a historic landmark. The definition of HISTORIC LANDMARK in Article VI of the ordinance sets the reach. A landmark is one or more buildings or places in which historic events occurred, or that carry special public value because of notable architectural, archaeological or other features of the community's cultural or artistic heritage. Contributing properties within a registered district are landmarks by definition, with a cross-reference to Code of Virginia § 10.1-2200. An owner of a contributing house in Olde Towne or Park View therefore does not need a separate designation to qualify.

Subsection (G)(5)(b) fixes what a marker says and where it goes. It shows the date of construction and the historic significance of the structure, and it is placed on the structure or adjacent to it. Subsection (G)(5)(c) controls the other direction: no one can display an unauthorized marker, and no one can remove an authorized marker, without the prior consent of both the structure owner and the City. Consent is two-party, so an owner cannot pull a marker down alone and the City cannot strip one from a building over the owner's objection. The section does not name a marker fee, a manufacturer or a deadline for installation.

A marker is separate from alteration review. Section 40.2-536(B) requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before any material change in appearance to the exterior of a building, structure or lot in a historic district that can be seen from a right-of-way. The Historic Preservation Commission decides non-administrative applications for all five districts, while a Planning Department staff member conferred by the Zoning Administrator decides administrative ones, and an applicant denied at staff level can elect to go to the Commission. An approved COA expires if work has not commenced within two years of issuance. Exemptions include normal repair and maintenance, repainting resulting in the same color, and any change to a feature that is not visible from a public street.