Welcome to Downtown Suffolk!While you're visiting Downtown Suffolk, here are a few of our nearby attractions and eateries for your reference. For a complete list of attractions, dining and accommodations information, please check out DowntownSuffolkVa.com
|
|
Points of Interest
|
Riddick's Folly House Museum
510 N. Main Street | Suffolk, VA 23434 757.934.0822 | riddicksfolly.org While Mills Riddick's contemporaries may have mocked his Greek Revival home when it was built in 1837, the house now stands as a beautiful reminder of the past. The impressive structure is situated on North Main Street and features striking architectural details. Riddick's Folly has 4 floors, 21 rooms, and 16 fireplaces. All 4 floors are open to the public. The building features elegantly furnished double parlors, a gentlemen's library, and adult and children's bedchambers. Also open are the laundry and dining rooms and the kitchen. |
|
Suffolk Visitor Center
at the Historic Nansemond Courthouse 524 N. Main Street | Suffolk, VA 23434 757.514.4130 | VisitSuffolkVa.com Overlooking the Nansemond River, the provincial Roman Revival style structure with its very tall Tuscan columns was an impressive site for early travelers arriving on the river. Today the building retains its commanding presence and historical significance as the Suffolk Visitor Center. The first floor provides an exhibit gallery highlighting the history of Suffolk and the Great Dismal Swamp, a greeting and information area and a gift shop. The second floor houses municipal offices for the Department of Economic Development and Division of Tourism. |
|
Cedar Hill Cemetery
N. Main St. & Constance Rd. | Suffolk, VA 23434 757.514.7632 Originally constructed as “Green Hill Cemetery,” this 32 acre expanse of hilly terrain and ancient cedar trees has many stories to reveal. Also home to one of Suffolk’s official Virginia Civil War Trail sites. |
|
Phillips-Dawson House
137 Bank St. | Suffolk, VA 23434 757.539.2781 | suffolkhistory.org The beautiful Phillips-Dawson house has been the headquarters of the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society for over 21 years but has a rich history all its own. The architecture of the home is French Second Empire with its mansard roof and mahogany front door with leaded glass sidelights. The stunning cascading staircase in the entryway gracefully greet each visitor to the property. |
The land on which the house was built was purchased from D.C. Harrell in 1881 by Horace Burton Phillips. It is unknown whether the lot had a house on it at that time or if Mr. Phillips had a new home constructed. However, it is clear from the 1889 Sanborn Insurance map of Suffolk that the original house at 137 Bank was roughly two rooms wide and two rooms deep, with a side hall which was typical of Suffolk homes at that time. The entrance to the home was also originally facing Franklin Street. The later 1897 Sanborn map indicates that the bay wing and side entrance on Bank Street were added in the interim. It wasn’t until the 1920s that the original Franklin Street entrance and porch was removed, and the Bank Street entrance was enlarged to be the primary entry way to the home. Although the house was originally finished in red exposed brick it was covered in stucco after major renovations.
|
Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts
110 W. Finney Ave. | Suffolk, VA 23434 757-923-0003 | SuffolkCenter.org Suffolk High School, built in 1922, has been restored and repurposed as the premier visual and performing arts venue for Suffolk. In the heart of downtown, the classic Greek-Revival structure houses a 500 seat theatre which is the stage for: Ballets, Children’s Plays, Concerts, Dramatic Works, Films, Musicals, Symphony Performances, and more! The 78,000-square-foot facility offers studios for dance, painting, sculpting, weaving classes and several other arts related classes. Within the massive 3-story Center, there is a ballroom and banquet hall, and classroom museum. |
|
Suffolk Art Gallery & Suffolk Art League
118 Bosley Ave. | Suffolk, VA 23434 757.514.7284 | SuffolkArtLeague.com suffolkva.us/1744/Suffolk-Art-Gallery The Museum hosts a variety of exhibits and through a partnership with the Suffolk Art League and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts offers year-round programming. From painting and pastels to weaving and quilting, you can find a variety of art classes and workshops offered by the Suffolk Art League. |
Historic Churches in Downtown Suffolk
St. Paul's
Episcopal Church 213 N. Main St. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church traces its roots to the earliest days of Anglican worship in Virginia, following the arrival of English settlers at Jamestown in 1607. By 1642, the Suffolk area—then part of Nansemond County—was divided into three parishes, with downtown Suffolk forming part of the Parish of the Upper Nansemond. Over the centuries, the congregation worshiped in five different church buildings, beginning with a church constructed around 1643 along the banks of the Nansemond River before relocating closer to downtown in the mid-eighteenth century.
The present Gothic Revival sanctuary, completed in 1895, reflects both the congregation’s long history and its enduring presence in downtown Suffolk. The church contains numerous historic artifacts, including a Bible dating to 1754, and has undergone significant additions and renovations in 1914, 1922, 1964, and 1989. The chapel addition, completed in 1989, incorporates treasured pieces from earlier eras, while the sanctuary continues to serve as a reminder of St. Paul’s role in preserving faith, history, and community in Suffolk for more than three centuries. 
First Baptist Church
Suffolk 237 N. Main St. Founded in 1827 after revival preaching by Elder Robert T. Daniel, Suffolk Baptist Church began with 33 members meeting on Cedar Hill. The congregation quickly grew, building its first church on Mahan Street in 1828 and relocating to its current North Main Street site in 1836. Early ministries included a Sunday School established in 1834 and the Suffolk Sewing Society, one of Virginia’s first women’s missionary organizations, founded in 1843.
The church played a significant role in both local and denominational history, sending a representative to the founding meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845. During the Civil War, the church served as a Union hospital while Suffolk was under federal occupation. Continued growth led to the creation of prayer meetings, mission societies, and expanded facilities, including a new brick sanctuary in 1890 and several educational and ministry buildings throughout the twentieth century. Today, the 1957 sanctuary remains the center of worship for one of Suffolk’s oldest and most enduring congregations. 
Oxford United
Methodist Church 601 W. Washington St. Steeped in a century of local history, Oxford United Methodist Church serves as a vibrant multi-racial anchor within Suffolk’s West End Historic District. The congregation’s historic brick sanctuary was constructed in 1922, eventually earning recognition as a contributing landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside, the sanctuary features a historic 16-rank Austin pipe organ (Opus 2166) that has provided the soundtrack for generations of communal worship. Throughout the mid-20th century, the church grew rapidly as a community hub, sustaining lively youth programs, large Sunday schools, and active local Boy Scout chapters. This legacy of community engagement carries on today through their shared ecumenical traditions with neighboring downtown churches and their hosting of the Apple Tree Learning Center, ensuring that this historic campus remains deeply integrated into the modern fabric of downtown Suffolk.
|
Mahan Street
First Baptist Church 112 Mahan St. Founded in 1866 during the early years of Reconstruction, First Baptist Church emerged from the faith and determination of newly freed African American Christians who gathered to worship in Suffolk following the Civil War. The congregation initially met in a house located in Cedar Hill Cemetery before relocating in 1868 to a two-room brick building at the corner of North Main and Mahan Streets, where worship services were led by Rev. Corprew, a circuit-riding minister.
In 1870, the congregation moved into its first permanent church home on what is now Church Street, on land donated by Alfred Adkins. From these humble beginnings, First Baptist Church grew into one of Suffolk’s enduring African American congregations, guided through the years by a succession of dedicated pastors and spiritual leaders. The church stands as a testament to the vision, perseverance, and faith of its founders, who established a lasting place of worship and community in the years immediately following emancipation. . 
Suffolk
Christian Church 216 N. Main St. Dedicated on March 10, 1861, the congregation’s Romanesque Revival sanctuary remains a prominent architectural landmark. Popular in America beginning in the 1840s, the Romanesque Revival style is distinguished by its round-arched windows and doorways, shallow-pitched roofs, and restrained brick ornamentation inspired by the architecture of 11th- and 12th-century Europe. The style was especially favored for churches, offering congregations greater freedom in architectural design and expression.
While the sanctuary retains its four original entrances and doors, the façade was remodeled in the mid-1920s and the original towers were replaced. The church is also home to the historic Jardine & Son pipe organ, installed in 1893. Restored several times over the years, most recently in 2002 by the A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company, the instrument now contains 2,468 pipes and continues to play a central role in worship and music ministry. 
West End
Baptist Church 105 Saint James Ave. Founded in 1929, West End Baptist Church began meeting in the Suffolk High School auditorium while members transformed the former Gum house into a temporary place of worship. By July of that year, services were being held in an auditorium created from the home’s former kitchen and dining room, providing a permanent gathering space for the growing congregation during the challenges of the Great Depression.
As membership increased, the church constructed a new sanctuary that became one of Suffolk’s most notable religious landmarks. Dedicated on December 4, 1938, the Colonial Revival-style building was inspired by Williamsburg’s historic Bruton Parish Church and was praised as “among the most beautiful places of worship in the South.” Designed by architect Alexander Du Pre Breeden, the church campus expanded with the addition of an education building in 1952 and later renovations that modernized facilities while preserving the property’s historic character. Today, West End Baptist Church stands as a testament to nearly a century of worship, community service, and architectural heritage in Suffolk. |
Main Street United
Methodist Church 202 N. Main St. Founded in 1801, Suffolk’s Methodist congregation began worshiping in Union Chapel, a shared meeting house on Cedar Hill that served several denominations. As the congregation grew, a dedicated brick church was constructed on North Main Street in 1823, followed by a larger sanctuary in 1861. During the Civil War, the church continued to serve the community, functioning both as a place of worship and, during the federal occupation of Suffolk, as a hospital.
The present Main Street United Methodist Church, completed in 1916, is a striking example of Gothic Revival architecture and remains one of Suffolk’s most recognizable historic landmarks. Known for its stained-glass windows, soaring sanctuary, and exceptional craftsmanship, the church has expanded over the years to include educational facilities, a nationally recognized pipe organ, handcrafted needlepoint furnishings, and the Atrium addition completed in 2009. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, the church continues to reflect more than two centuries of faith, service, and community heritage in Suffolk. 
St. Mary of the Presentation Catholic Church
202 S. Broad Street Founded through the missionary outreach of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Portsmouth, the Catholic presence in Suffolk dates back to at least 1873, when Father Thomas J. Brady celebrated Mass in the home of Elfrida Holland Lewis. By 1908, Suffolk’s small Catholic community had grown to ten families, and members of the newly formed St. Mary’s Women’s Club raised funds to construct the parish’s first church. Built on the corner of Broad and Smith Streets, the wooden church was dedicated on November 12, 1909, by Bishop Denis J. O’Connell’s successor, Bishop Augustine Van de Vyver, and served a congregation of about forty families.
St. Mary’s continued to grow throughout the twentieth century. The parish received its first resident pastor, Father Joseph V. Brennan, in 1927 and later established mission churches in Franklin and Smithfield that became independent parishes. As membership expanded, the original church was relocated on the property in 1953 to make way for a larger sanctuary, which was dedicated on September 12, 1954. The original building was removed in 1975 and replaced with the parish hall and education center, reflecting St. Mary’s enduring role as the center of Catholic worship and community life in Suffolk. |