Home Community DevelopmentHistoric Overlay District

Historic Overlay District

Purpose
The Historic Overlay District (HOD) as defined in the Code of Virginia, § 15.2-2201 and the City of Manassas Zoning Ordinance promotes the general welfare, health, and safety of the public through the perpetuation of those areas of individual structures and/or premises which have been, or may be, officially designated by the City Council as having historic or architectural significance. The Historic Overlay District was created to:

Protect against deterioration, destruction of, or encroachment upon historic or architecturally significant structures, and/or areas.
Encourage uses which will lead to their continuance, conservation, and improvement in an appropriate manner.
Ensure that new structures and uses within such district will be in keeping with the historic or architecturally significant character to be preserved.

There are three designated historic overlay districts in the City:

Manassas Local Historic District: This historic district is the largest of the three districts and includes over 300 structures. It is approximately 2.5 square miles and composed of the traditional downtown area as well as numerous surrounding neighborhoods.

Liberia Mansion Historic District: This historic district includes the 18 acre site of the Liberia Mansion, a 2 story brick residence dating from 1825 which housed generals from both the Confederate and Union armies and had both Union and Confederate Presidents pay visits.

Mayfield Fort Historic District: This 11.5 acre single-site district contains the remnants of an early plantation called Mayfield and the foundations of a Civil War-era fort.

Design Guidelines

Historic District Design Guidelines (English)

The City of Manassas Historic District Design Guidelines were developed to provide detailed information and direction for the Architectural Review Board and property owners within the local historic district. These guidelines are based upon the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The Architectural Review Board uses these design guidelines to review the appropriateness of an application.

Guía para el diseño de los distritos históricos (en español)

Esta guía ayuda a los propietarios dentro del distrito histórico local en la modificación o el mejoramiento de sus edificios y ayuda a la JRA a revisar si una solicitud es apropiada o no.

Architectural Review Board
The Architectural Review Board was created for the purposes of administering and overseeing the Historic Overlay District and advising the public in matters involving historically significant sites and preservation. The Architectural Review Board issues Certificates of Appropriateness for construction, reconstruction, substantial exterior alteration, demolition, or relocation within an historic overlay district.

If you own property in the historic district, you might need to fill out an Architectural Review Board Application before you begin any improvement project. Contact the Planning & Development Office before starting any project on a property in the Historic District.