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Industrial and Commercial Architecture (2.4)

Description (2.4.1)

Elizabeth City's surviving industrial structures--mills, machine shops, ship yards, warehouses, and railroad facilities--date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with a large majority from the latter. They are concentrated either along the Pasquotank River or along the main railroad line and its spurs. Although many no longer continue in their original function, they are generally sufficiently intact to recall their original purpose. Commercial buildings include stores, banks, hotels, and offices, and are primarily located in the downtown area, already listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Elizabeth City Historic District. All of the city's large industrial and commercial buildings are of brick or iron construction. A limited number of commercial buildings, mostly small frame or brick retail stores, remain in several neighborhoods where they served local needs. Many of these are in historically black residential sections.