Cavalier Shores

Cavalier Shores is a historic neighborhood located immediately north of the Cavalier Hotel between Cavalier Drive/42nd Street and the south side of 45th Street and between the Oceanfront and Holly Road. The most common architectural style is Colonial Revival. Tudor Revival and Minimal Traditional style designs can also be seen in the neighborhood. There is also one appearance of a Mediterranean Revival style home that reportedly was built with materials left over from the construction of the Cavalier Hotel . The Cavalier Shores neighborhood features alleyways that run east to west between the primary street; these give access to garages, small apartments, and guest cottages. 

In 1927, this land was primarily unimproved sand dunes and scrub bushes. Cavalier Shores, Inc. connected the land to the Cavalier Hotel with a brick walkway and decorative gate. This walkway ran through the neighborhood from the hotel to 45th Street and was originally dubbed “Myrtle Walk.” It has also been called the “cat walk” after guest stars that performed at the hotel as well as most commonly the “Cavalier Walk.” 43rd street was originally named Pocahontas Drive and 44th street was originally named Raleigh Drive.  

The Cavalier Shores neighborhood was intended to attract people who wanted to own a home at the beach but have access to the exclusive amenities of the Cavalier. Cavalier Shores has recently been added to the National Register of Historic Places (2019) as a Historic District, as well as to the Virginia Landmarks Register (2018). Today, the Cavalier Shores neighborhood remains a cohesive and close-knit community. Many residents are members of the Cavalier Shores Civic League, which promotes the preservation and heritage of the neighborhood. Non-residents are permitted to park on Cavalier Shores land for 3 hours, which the City Council approved extending to 4 hours.  

The Cavalier Shores Historic District is an excellent example of coastal suburban development in the first half of the twentieth century that reflects characteristic nationally popular architectural styles as applied to Tidewater Virginia. The district also is a locally unique example of development sponsored by the adjacent Cavalier Hotel (NRHP 2014). While the direct association to the Cavalier Hotel is less recognized now following multiple changes in ownership of the resort, the district does retain its character-defining brick promenade and gate leading to the hotel grounds. The district also retains a dense building stock of homes dating to the first half of the twentieth century that convey the early popularity and subsequent growth of the neighborhood.

The Cavalier Shores Historic District is a cohesive collection of buildings that represent a historically significant aspect of the growth and evolution of Virginia Beach in the first half of the twentieth century. The district is composed of, and matches the boundaries of the Cavalier Shores neighborhood that was platted in 1927 by a subsidiary developer of the nearby Cavalier Hotel. The district grew and evolved through the 1960s, by which time it was nearly completely developed with only occasional infill construction occurring in the ensuing decades.

Reed, Mark. Cavalier Shores Historic District Listed in National Register of Historic Places, VBgov. April 19th 2019. Accessed March 9th 2021. https://www.vbgov.com/news/pages/selected.aspx?release=4290&title=cavalier+shores+historic+district+listed+in+national+register+of+historic+places.

Parker, Stacy. Neighborhood next to The Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach is named a Virginia Landmark, Virginia Pilot. December 18th 2018. Accessed March 9th 2021. https://www.vbgov.com/news/pages/selected.aspx?release=4290&title=cavalier+shores+historic+district+listed+in+national+register+of+historic+places.

Belote, Lee. Cavalier Shores neighborhood near Cavalier Hotel earns listing in National Register of Historic Places, Virginia Pilot. July 1st 2019. Accessed March 9th 2021. https://www.pilotonline.com/news/article_265c48ae-84e4-11e9-b3f7-b7bbacab22e1.html.

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (VDHR #134-5379), United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Listed April 2, 2019.