Old Wythe Historic District

The Old Wythe Historic District is a residential neighborhood in Hampton with buildings that display Greek Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The area covers a large expanse where homes are laid out in a grid pattern that you can explore on foot.

The district emerged in the 1880s after the arrival of the railway, transforming from an industrial area into residential blocks. This shift shaped how the area developed and what you see when you walk through it today.

The neighborhood is named after George Wythe, a prominent law professor and signer of the Declaration of Independence from Hampton. The buildings around you reflect the tastes and ways of living that residents chose during the time they built their homes.

You can view the houses from public streets and explore the neighborhood on foot through its organized layout. Remember this is an active residential area, so stay on the streets and respect property boundaries throughout your walk.

The John Simpson House, one of the oldest buildings in this area, dates from a time before the neighborhood developed as a residential district. It shows how individual structures stood for decades before the wider construction boom took place.