Truxtun is one of the only twentieth century districts presently listed in Portsmouth and dates to approximately 1918.  Truxtun is the first planned community for African-Americans; it was built as a project of the U.S. Housing Corporation to house shipyard workers during World War II.  It is significant because Truxtun is among the first government-funded and planned communities in the entire country.  The design concept of this district reflects what we today call “new urbanism,” a wholly contained community where residents could live, play, and shop within an easy commute to the workplace provided by public transportation.  Truxtun was designed with 200 detached and 50 semi-detached 5-room houses on 42 acres.  Today the Truxtun neighborhood shares a special sense of community with an active civic league with a passion for preserving the historic character of the district.