Commonwealth Preservation Group

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Commonwealth Preservation Group

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Commonwealth Preservation Group (CPG) provides preservation planning and design, historic rehabilitation tax credit, and historic resource and National Register nomination consulting services.

02/11/2026

Project Update: CPG was in Lynchburg this past Saturday to meet with community members about the next steps for the White Rock Elementary School. Our work continues the efforts begun by the City of Lynchburg, Virginia Government, Work Program Architects, and the community at large to reimagine the former school as a multi-use community hub for the surrounding neighborhood.

At this past Saturday's meeting, Lena McDonald shared information on the process by which historic resources are nominated to the Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). White Rock Elementary School's placement on the VLR and NRHP would make it eligible for the state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credit programs, which would help bolster the project's overall budget. City officials also presented updates on what lies ahead in the revitalization process.

The Preliminary Information Form (the first step in the VLR and NRHP process) will be reviewed at the March Virginia Department of Historic Resources Board of Historic Resources and the State Review Board meeting. Special thanks to our project partners Dominion Seven Architects and also the City of Lynchburg, Virginia Government. We are excited to see progress on this impactful project.

02/05/2026

CPG is thrilled to share news of yet another project listing on the National Register of Historic Places: Norfolk Cultural and Convention Center.

The Center made Norfolk and the area a high-profile entertainment and sports events destination and is representative of the City of Norfolk's large-scale urban renewal program in the 1950s through the 1970s.

Thanks to Downtown Norfolk, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and the National Park Service for their support and stewardship.

02/03/2026

We loved seeing the participation and energy at the first community meeting event for the Future Phoebus - Fort Monroe Coalition. On January 23rd, residents, business owners, and those who work and/or have vested interests in Phoebus and Fort Monroe came together to learn more about our efforts to build relationships and facilitate collaboration amongst the two neighboring communities.

Nearly 100 people came out and gave their feedback via multiple stations involving maps, questionnaires, and comment forms. CPG will sort and analyze the community feedback and use the insights gleaned to inform the next community meeting in March, location still to be determined.

This project is funded by a Chesapeake Gateways Grant and we want to thank our project partners: the Phoebus Partnership, Fort Monroe National Monument , Hampton, VA - Gov , National Park Service , and the Chesapeake Conservancy.
We also want to thank the Saint Mary Star of the Sea School for hosting us in their beautiful space and helping organize the event alongside their student ambassadors.

We also appreciate having city council members in attendance as well as Vice Mayor Steve Brown

01/15/2026

Phoebus and Fort Monroe are special places with rich history, vibrant local businesses, and incredible access to the Chesapeake Bay. CPG and the Coalition Working Group want to hear your ideas for what comes next.

Local organizations are exploring whether a future Phoebus–Fort Monroe coalition should be created to support shared goals across the area. Nothing is decided yet; your voice will help determine if a coalition is needed and what it could contribute.

Join us for Together for Tomorrow: Community Conversation on January 23, 2026 from 11:00am-1:30pm at Saint Mary’s Star of the Sea School to:
-Learn about current local initiatives
-Engage in this visioning process
-Help shape the area’s future

Drop in anytime. Activities for all ages. Refreshments provided.

Phoebus Partnership
Fort Monroe National Monument
Fort Monroe at Old Point Comfort
Chesapeake Conservancy
Hampton, VA - Gov
National Park Service

01/07/2026

We are grateful to be starting off 2026 with two recent projects listed on the National Register of Historic Places!

Rocky Branch School in Dinwiddie County served African American students from 1913-1963 and is the second school nominated under the African American Schools in Virginia MPD.

The Daily Press Building is an example of New Formalist style (a rarity in Newport News) combining classical principles and modern construction methods. This site housed all of the newspaper’s operations from 1968-2014.

Special thanks to our project partners: Jody Lahendro, Monument Construction, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and National Park Service.

12/23/2025

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year from all of us at CPG!

Our office will be closed from December 24th through January 1st.

We are thankful for all our wonderful clients who continued to bring us exciting projects throughout 2025 and look forward to what’s to come in 2026!

12/15/2025

Each year we hold a full-day staff retreat to make time to reflect on the challenges and accomplishes of the year before and to look forward to the year to come. This year we had the opportunity to hold it at Assembly - thank you for letting us use your beautiful space! A major theme from 2025 for CPG was "growth": we are now a staff of 14, the largest our company has ever been, and we took on an entire new line of business in July when we were awarded the Virginia Main Street design services contract.

The day was filled with great discussion, and of course, fun. Should out to Sami for winning the CPG Jeopardy segment! The future of preservation is clearly in great hands.

A special thanks to scend.studio for a smooth and professional experience updating our group photo! Cheers to 2026 - we can't wait to see what it has in store.

12/03/2025

We are excited to share that the African American Schools in Virginia Multiple Property Documentation (MPD) and accompanying Cuckoo School National Register Nomination are officially on the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service.

The historic context for the MPD came from the analysis of 219 schools built between 1870-1968. The breadth of the MPD’s timeframe captures multiple periods of development in Virginia's public school system and importantly the Civil Rights Movement's legal victories toward accomplishing school desegregation.

The ca 1925 Cuckoo Elementary School in Louisa County, is a significant example of the small, rural, segregated one- and two-room schoolhouses that were common in the the 1870s to the mid-1900s, and is the first to achieve NRHP listing under the MPD.

We want to thank Virginia Department of Historic Resources for the opportunity to work on this project and NPS for its continued partnership in all our work. Congratulations to all involved!

11/26/2025

CPG would like to wish everyone a 🦃Happy Thanksgiving🦃!

Our gratitude goes out to our clients and other project partners for entrusting us with interesting and meaningful projects. We are equally thankful for our staff whose daily dedication and passion allows us to take on this important work.

Please note that the CPG office will be closed, Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 in observance of the holiday. Have a memorable weekend!

11/05/2025

We were excited to be in Newport News for the ribbon cutting ceremony at 2800 Washington Avenue on October 23rd. As a contributing resource to the Downtown Newport News Historic District, this building was eligible for the historic rehabilitation tax credit program and has become an example of a successful adaptive reuse project.

Originally constructed in 1937 as a Montgomery Ward department store, 2800 Washington Avenue has changed hands throughout its history, including decades as Virginia Specialty Stores. In the mid-1990s, the City of Newport News, VA - Government purchased the building and leased it to Newport News Shipbuilding through 2022. The building, now known as Shipyard Flats, enters its latest chapter as a residential and commercial complex in the heart of downtown.

Special thanks to our project partners Catalyst Design Studio, the in-house design wing of The Monument Companies. Their design incorporated an atrium to allow natural light into the space. Also thanks to Virginia Department of Historic Resources and National Park Service for their continued efforts to support these adaptive reuse projects!

10/23/2025

Deneen and Susan joined CPG this summer from Frazier Associates, a well known architecture and planning firm that closed after 39 years of wonderful work. Deneen brings over 30 years of historic preservation experience to CPG and will join our Historic Resource Treatment team on tax credit applications and design guidelines projects. Susan has also joined the Historic Resource Treatment team continuing her 25 years of work with historic rehabilitation and facade improvement design for the Virginia Main Street program.

About her time so far with CPG, Deneen is enjoying expanding her project experience to include resources in the eastern areas of Virginia, particularly Norfolk. Susan has been excited to gain experience with CPG’s Matterport 3-D scanner and finding ways to combine that technology with her illustration and rendering skillset.

In their free time, both Deneen and Susan are avid outdoor fans: Deneen chairs the Restoration Committee for the Garden Club of Virginia and Susan simply loves everything about being outside.

Deneen and Susan, we are thrilled to have you on our team!

10/08/2025

We always love having a reason to visit our friends at the James Solomon Russell/Saint Paul's College Museum and Archives! Last week, members of CPG staff had the chance to participate in the dedication of the Honorable L. Louise Lucas Digital History Lab. This resource will be part of the national Memory Lab program that allows students, visitors, and community members to digitize analogue materials such as VHS tapes, film, photographs, and more. The Honorable L. Louise Lucas Digital History Lab will also serve as a space for recording oral history interviews, a form of documentation that is very important to the Museum & Archives.

The CPG team conducted research on the necessary equipment for this kind of state-of-the-art space, purchased and installed the equipment, and wrote user manuals for each piece of equipment and media type. This unique project yielded an incredible resource for the area, as the only Memory Lab in rural Virginia.

Address

536 W 35th Street
Norfolk, VA
23508

Website

https://www.commonwealthpreservationgroup.com/

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