{"nrhp_refnum":"74002246","name":"Old Main","other_names":["Stuart Hall","Main Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"235 W. Frederick St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Staunton (Independent City)","county":"Staunton","state":"VA","lat":38.15049460700004,"lon":-79.07641781299998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-08-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Old Main is the main building of Stuart Hall school at 235 West Frederick Street in Staunton, Virginia. It is a two-story brick Greek Revival academic building with an attic, designed and built by Edwin Taylor and completed in 1846.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a distinguished example of Greek Revival academic architecture and the focal point of the school. It also houses the oldest preparatory school for girls in Virginia, founded as the Virginia Female Institute in 1843. Notable figures tied to the school include Robert E. Lee, whose daughters attended, and Flora Stuart, headmistress from 1880.","narrative":"Old Main, the central building of Stuart Hall school on West Frederick Street in Staunton, Virginia, is a two-story brick Greek Revival structure with an attic. Designed and built by Edwin Taylor and finished in 1846 for more than $15,000 including furnishings, it has a two-story Doric portico, a five-bay facade laid in Flemish bond, and a belvedere on the roof. Inside, a central hall is flanked by parlors with distinctive Greek Revival door trim and mantels. The building houses what began as the Virginia Female Institute, incorporated in 1843 and described as the oldest preparatory school for girls in Virginia. Daughters of Robert E. Lee attended in 1856, and Lee later served as president of its board of visitors. Classes stopped during the Civil War and resumed in October 1865. Flora Stuart, widow of General J.E.B. Stuart, became headmistress in 1880, and the school was later renamed in her honor. Seven rear additions harmonize with the original building, which remains in good condition.","period_of_significance":"19th Century","architect_builder":"Edwin Taylor","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition described as good; occupied and still in use as a girls' preparatory school, with seven rear additions.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:58.04902-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/99/6837/41683799/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/74002246.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74002246/769f0d3705-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74002246/769f0d3705-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Strawser","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stuart_Hall_(Old_Main)_Staunton_VA.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Strawser</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stuart_Hall_(Old_Main)_Staunton_VA.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"83003318","name":"Newtown Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/newtown-historic-district-83003318/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41683799","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Hall_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14713263"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/staunton/old-main-74002246/"}