The Grandin Road Commercial Historic District officially encompasses the 1300-1500 block of Grandin Road, SW and the 1700 - 1900 block of Memorial Avenue. Most of the historic buildings were built during 1906 - 1952, many by Eubank and Caldwell and John A. Page.
The 1920’s was a period of significant growth, ending with 16 businesses by 1929. By 1970 the businesses numbered 32, with many storefronts changing over the years. Today, some of those same businesses remain, and many more have moved in, making the Grandin Village a vital, unique part of the Raleigh Court community.
GRANDIN VILLAGE IN THE EARLY 1920's
The T intersection development at Grandin and Memorial began with the construction of the original Virginia Heights Elementary School in 1907. By 1911, the Roanoke Street Railway Company would complete a streetcar line between Raleigh Court/Virginia Heights and downtown, accelerating the commercial establishments of the present-day Grandin Village.
The top photo, courtesy of SHS, shows an aerial view of Memorial Bridge in 1928. The bottom photos show the dedication ceremony for the new bridge in 1925. Photo courtesy of HSWV.
On July 31, 1948, streetcar service to the Grandin area was abandoned, which also marked the end of streetcar transit altogether within the city of Roanoke. The demise of the streetcar transitioned the area into the automobile era, whereby much of the post-1950s development within the district was designed to accommodate the automobile.
Significant Buildings
2014 Memorial Avenue
1742 Memorial Avenue
1916 Memorial Avenue
Pops Ice Cream & Soda Bar
1310 Grandin Road
GRANDIN VILLAGE FROM THE 1920's TO THE 1950's
A number of one and two story buildings completed the commercial area of Grandin Road during this period. Long time residents will remember the names of the various grocery and drug stores which moved in and out of different buildings - Thompsons Meat Market, the Great A&P Tea Company, the Kroger Store, Piggly Wiggly Supermarket, Catogni's Grocery, Jamison's Grocer, Mick or Mack, Brice's Drug, Clore's Drug, Garland's Drug, CVS and West Pharmacy. Today the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op on Grandin Road, and the Mick or Mack on Memorial Avenue still offer residents a large variety of grocery items. The Texaco used to be on the corner of Memorial and Grandin, where the Virginia Heights Church outside courtyard is now.
1327 Grandin Road