The area of Roanoke known as Old Southwest is bounded roughly by S. Jefferson Street, Elm and Marshall avenues SW, I-581, and the Roanoke River. From about 1882 to 1930, the one hundred blocks of residential Old Southwest were developed by one of the N&W's subsidiary land companies. This remarkably intact neighborhood includes houses ranging in size and style and most were constructed by land companies. As residents moved out to the suburbs in the post–World War II era, Old Southwest fell into a decline. But in the mid-1970s, the area began a period of renewal and is now appreciated as an important part of Roanoke's architectural heritage.
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