Hodges Business College
Also known as: Hodges School
Why it's listed
Built in 1894 by educator John Daniel Hodges on his family farm in rural Jerusalem Township, Davie County, this two-story brick building housed a private school offering business, shorthand, classical, and teacher-training courses. Its steep gable roof, lancet-arched windows and front entrance, and brick voussoirs make it the most distinctive surviving Gothic Revival building in the county. The school is noted as the only one of the county's late nineteenth-century private academies still standing, and it is described as the sole rural brick school of that era. Hodges had earlier served in the Fifth North Carolina Cavalry and held degrees from Trinity College and Yale. He also became county superintendent of schools in 1900, which led him to close the school for a time. After 1909 he reopened it briefly until about 1911. The building was later converted to tenant housing around 1920 and remains largely unaltered on its exterior.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is remarkably intact and is Davie County's only rural brick school from the nineteenth century, and one of few surviving brick structures in the county. It is presented as an outstanding vernacular Gothic Revival example and as the only surviving academy of the late nineteenth century in the county. Its business curriculum is described as unusual for a rural school.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 00000990, listed August 16, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 1819, 0.15 mi. SE of jct. with NC 801, Mocksville |
|---|---|
| County | Davie County |
| Listed | August 16, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000990 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1894 - ca. 1900 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The school building is in fair to good condition, and the document notes it was used for tenant housing and later for storage, with plans by the current owner to convert it to a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.83891, -80.50362 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 00000990.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18349722
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.