Wasena Historic District

The district began its development with George Howbert's sale of his house and farmland to the Wasena Land Company in 1910.^[3] At the time the only connection to the developed portion of the city was a wooden bridge spanning the Roanoke River; that bridge was reinforced with a steel frame concurrent to the neighborhood being graded and platted (it would be 1939 before the existing span was completed).^[3][4] The oldest structure in the district is the former Howbert home, located at 918 Howbert Avenue and dating to about 1900.^[3] The majority of the houses in the district date to the 1920s, though some contributing structures were built as late as the 1960s.^[3] The American Craftsman-style bungalow is the dominant style and form followed by the American Foursquare (including Colonial Revival and Prairie style) and the Ranch style.^[3]

In 1934, a local businessman and philanthropist donated 28 acres of land bordering the Roanoke River, which would become Wasena Park.^[3] The park holds a 1930s era stone picnic shelter as well as a replica of a train station that once held the Virginia Museum of Transportation until severe flooding in 1985 forced its closure.^[5] The building was renovated in 2015 and as of 2023^[update] holds a restaurant.^[5]A small commercial district exists in the neighborhood just south of the Wasena Bridge consisting of several one-story buildings.^[3] That commercial area has seen significant revitalization in the 21st century, as has a former industrial zone in the northeast portion of the historic district.^[6][7]

The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.^[1]