This group of buildings represents one of Richmond's major claims to fame: the first successful electric streetcar system in the world. The system began as a series of competing companies that sprang up within a few years around 1890. Over time the Virginia Railway and Power Company acquired the separate lines and consolidated the system. The oldest building of the complex is Car Barn No. 1 (c. 1900), which has a large, gabled steel-truss roof. Car Barns No. 2 and No. 3 (c. 1920) are reinforced concrete fireproof structures divided into two separate bays. The rest of the complex consists of miscellaneous shops and an office building (1930) at Grayland and Davis avenues.