Established in the 18th century as the City's original neighborhood, Olde Towne overlooks the Elizabeth River and Crawford Bay. Olde Towne was the first established historic district in the City. It represents the town’s earliest surviving history and is the only example of an early townscape in the Hampton Roads area. This historic core of Portsmouth encompasses more than 20 blocks of 18th and 19th century style Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian homes. The early townscape was laid out based on a grid pattern, with wide and narrow streets alternating and quarter block lots laid out in squares. The four corners at High and Court streets were reserved for public use such as a courthouse, market, jail, and church and are included in the Downtown Portsmouth Historic District. While the homes are private, Olde Towne is in fact a tourist attraction, renowned as the largest collection of historic homes between Alexandria, Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina. 1
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