Pythian Castle (Portsmouth, Virginia)

The Pythian Castle is a historic 3-story brick and stone Knights of Pythias building located at 610-612 Court Street in Portsmouth, Virginia. Built between 1897 and 1898 for the Atlantic Lodge, Knights of Pythias, it was designed by architect Edward Overman in the Romanesque Revival style of architecture. Like many multistory urban fraternal buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, its street floor was rented out for retail and office spaces while the upper floors were reserved for lodge use. In 1908 a single-story brick and stone Romanesque Revival addition was built to the north of the original building. In 1979 the Pythian Castle was sold by the knights. On October 30, 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today the ground floor is a Mexican eatery.[1][3]

Pythian Castle
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Virginia Landmarks Register
Pythian Castle
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Location	610-612 Court St., Portsmouth, Virginia
Coordinates	36°50′1″N 76°18′5″W
Area	0.1 acres (0.040 ha)
Built	1897-1898
Architect	Edward Overman
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.	80004316[1]
VLR No.	124-0046
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 30, 1980
Designated VLR	July 31, 1980[2]

It is located in the Downtown Portsmouth Historic District.