Preserving History in Virginia Beach

Help plan the update of the City’s Historic Preservation Strategic Plan by sharing your input. The Virginia Beach Historic Preservation Commission is interested in learning about your concerns, priorities, and ideas regarding the city’s historic and cultural assets, which may include places, buildings, structures, artifacts, landscapes, and other sites important to the community, are essential for the strategic planning process. The results of this survey will assist in development of the strategic plan, providing guidance for the Commission, City staff, and the community in the management of its collective historic assets.

The City and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources have partnered to develop the strategic plan update through the state Cost Share grant program. The plan will meet state and Federal standards for community preservation planning. Commonwealth Preservation Group, a cultural resource management firm, will lead public discussion and compile the strategic plan document. For more information about the strategic plan project, contact Mark Reed, historic preservation planner, 757-385-8573, mreed@vbgov.com.

This survey will be open through May 16, 2021

How are you involved in historic preservation in Virginia Beach? Please select the answer that best applies to you.

Interested in local history/preservation

47%

Enjoy visiting historic places or sites

41%

New to preservation

City staff

Owner of historic property

Preservation or museum Non-profit board member or staff person

Appointed to a city commission

Realtor/Real estate agent

Owner of business located in historic building or district

Real estate developer

Closed to responses | 1,020 Responses

Which of the following is your favorite place to visit in Virginia Beach?

Back Bay Wildlife Refuge/False Cape State Park

27%

Pungo

24%

Sandbridge

14%

Resort Area

12%

Other - please describe

Cape Henry Lighthouse

Thoroughgood House Museum

Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School

Closed to responses | 978 Responses

Which of the images below contain historic buildings, sites, or places? Select all that apply.

A. Lynnhaven House (photo credit: CPG)

97%

E. Native American Archeological Site (photo credit: VDHR Archives)

80%

F. Beach cottage (photo credit: CPG)

79%

C. Cutty Sark Hotel (photo credit: VDHR Archives)

37%

B. Seatack Elementary School (photo credit: VDHR Archives)

32%

D. Home in Cavalier Shores (photo credit: VDHR Archives)

28%

Closed to responses | 862 Responses

How important are historic resources for Virginia Beach tourism?

Very important

44%

Important

24%

Fairly important

20%

Slightly important

10%

Not at all important

Closed to responses | 956 Responses

Which of the following should be considered priorities in preservation planning? Please select up to 3 and rank them in order of importance.

Closed to responses | 845 Responses

Which archaeological sites should be considered a priority for assessment and investigation? Please select up to 3 and rank them by order of importance.

Closed to responses | 815 Responses

What factors should be considered when prioritizing City historic preservation initiatives? Please select up to 3 and rank them in order of importance.

Closed to responses | 799 Responses

What is the greatest threat to historic resources in VB? Please select up to 3 and rank from highest to lowest risk.

Closed to responses | 778 Responses

Do the City's current preservation programs serve underrepresented communities (racial, ethnic, and gender minorities, for example)?

I'm not sure

61%

Yes

20%

19%

Closed to responses | 827 Responses

Please identify up to 3 historic and cultural sites of significance to underrepresented communities that should be preserved.

Closed for Comments

How well does the Virginia Beach City Public School system educate students about local history and historic sites?

Poorly

36%

No opinion

34%

Very Poorly

17%

Well

12%

Very well

Closed to responses | 728 Responses

Which of the following activities should Virginia Beach City Public Schools use to promote historic preservation and historic sites? Please select up to 3 and rank.

Closed to responses | 675 Responses

Which of the following preservation programs or organizations have you engaged with in the past? Please select all that apply.

Visited a historic site or house museum in Virginia Beach

84%

Civic league or neighborhood association

44%

Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach Historical Society

17%

Historic Preservation Commission

11%

Other (please explain)

Special programming like Pints for Preservation or Preservation Month activities

Historical Review Board

State and/or National Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program

Local Designation Program

City Research Grant Fund

Local Tax Abatement Program

Closed to responses | 617 Responses

Have you used the City's website to learn about historic preservation programs?

58%

Yes

36%

I'm not sure

Closed to responses | 688 Responses

If you have used the City's website to learn about its historic preservation programs, how would you rate the ease of navigating the website?

No opinion

57%

Average

25%

Easy

11%

Hard

Very easy

Very hard

Closed to responses | 559 Responses

What information would be helpful to have online for residents of Virginia Beach interested in historic preservation?

All of the above

66%

Map of historic sites open to the public

55%

Events calendar for historic preservation programs

35%

Hyperlinks to local historic house museum websites

33%

Hyperlinks to local preservation societies and advocacy groups

25%

Resource guide for owners of historic homes

22%

None of the above

Closed to responses | 673 Responses

Have you contacted or worked with the Historic Preservation Commission in the past?

87%

Yes

10%

I'm not sure

Closed to responses | 678 Responses

If you have contacted or worked with the Historic Preservation Commission in the past, how would you rate the experience?

No opinion

84%

Satisfactory

Very satisfactory

Neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory

Unsatisfactory

Very unsatisfactory

Closed to responses | 486 Responses

Have you contacted or worked with the Historical Review Board in the past?

92%

I'm not sure

Yes

Closed to responses | 674 Responses

If you have contacted or worked with the Historical Review Board in the past, how would you rate the experience?

No opinion

92%

Neither satisfactory or unsatisfactory

Satisfactory

Very satisfactory

Unsatisfactory

Very unsatisfactory

Closed to responses | 466 Responses

What types of programming would you be interested in seeing in Virginia Beach? Please select up to 3.

Social media posts highlighting historic sites or neighborhoods and their history

50%

Guided neighborhood tours (walking or bike)

37%

History in the Attic program (Residents bring their family photos, scrapbooks, etc., to an event to be digitized for local research)

33%

Virtual tours

28%

Self-guided bike tours

26%

Oral history interview program

21%

Hands-on workshops

20%

Special fundraising events like Pints for Preservation

20%

Speaker programs

18%

Scavenger hunts

16%

Award programs

Other (explain)

Closed to responses | 660 Responses

How do you learn about historic preservation programs in Virginia Beach? Please select your top 3 sources.

Social media

54%

Word of mouth

47%

Local newspaper articles

45%

Local TV News

33%

Virginia Beach City Website

26%

Non-profit marketing campaigns

Email subscriptions to newsletters

Other (explain)

Local Radio Station

Closed to responses | 660 Responses

In which neighborhood do you live? Please drop a pin to show the location.

How long have you lived in Virginia Beach?

More than 25 years

37%

My entire life; I am a Virginia Beach native

27%

10-24 years

23%

5-9 years

1-4 years

I don't live in Virginia Beach

less than 1 year

Closed to responses | 560 Responses

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Preserving History in Virginia Beach

Preserving History in Virginia Beach

This survey will be open through May 16, 2021

Question title

How are you involved in historic preservation in Virginia Beach? Please select the answer that best applies to you.

Question title

Which of the following is your favorite place to visit in Virginia Beach?

Question title

Which of the images below contain historic buildings, sites, or places? Select all that apply.

Question title

How important are historic resources for Virginia Beach tourism?

Question title

Which of the following should be considered priorities in preservation planning? Please select up to 3 and rank them in order of importance.

Question title

Which archaeological sites should be considered a priority for assessment and investigation? Please select up to 3 and rank them by order of importance.

Question title

What factors should be considered when prioritizing City historic preservation initiatives? Please select up to 3 and rank them in order of importance.

Question title

What is the greatest threat to historic resources in VB? Please select up to 3 and rank from highest to lowest risk.

Question title

Do the City's current preservation programs serve underrepresented communities (racial, ethnic, and gender minorities, for example)?

Question title

Please identify up to 3 historic and cultural sites of significance to underrepresented communities that should be preserved.

Question title

How well does the Virginia Beach City Public School system educate students about local history and historic sites?

Question title

Which of the following activities should Virginia Beach City Public Schools use to promote historic preservation and historic sites? Please select up to 3 and rank.

Question title

Which of the following preservation programs or organizations have you engaged with in the past? Please select all that apply.

Question title

Have you used the City's website to learn about historic preservation programs?

Question title

If you have used the City's website to learn about its historic preservation programs, how would you rate the ease of navigating the website?

Question title

What information would be helpful to have online for residents of Virginia Beach interested in historic preservation?

Question title

Have you contacted or worked with the Historic Preservation Commission in the past?

Question title

If you have contacted or worked with the Historic Preservation Commission in the past, how would you rate the experience?

Question title

Have you contacted or worked with the Historical Review Board in the past?

Question title

If you have contacted or worked with the Historical Review Board in the past, how would you rate the experience?

Question title

What types of programming would you be interested in seeing in Virginia Beach? Please select up to 3.

Question title

How do you learn about historic preservation programs in Virginia Beach? Please select your top 3 sources.

Question title

In which neighborhood do you live? Please drop a pin to show the location.

Question title

How long have you lived in Virginia Beach?