The Park View Historic District neighbors the Naval Medical Center in Downtown Portsmouth. Annexed in 1894, it was the City’s first residential suburb in the downtown commercial area. Electric streetcars, mass-produced building materials, and building and loan associations all contributed to the availability of affordable housing within the neighborhood, which was located on the outskirts of the City. Park View’s name is derived from the U.S. Naval Hospital park that is located east of the district and was the only publicly accessible park in the City at the time. Today the streetscape in the Park View Historic District is characterized by its 60-foot wide, tree-lined streets; concrete sidewalks with granite curbs and patterned driveway cuts; street parking on both sides; and overhead utilities. There are more than 300 homes of varying styles in Park View, although the Queen Anne houses with towers and gables are most popular. Park View is currently undergoing a Renaissance.
