Proffit Historic District
Also known as: Vdhr # 02-643, 2148, 2149, 2150, 2151, 2152, 2153, 2154,; Vdhr # 2155,
Why it's listed
Proffit is a small rural village in north-central Albemarle County, Virginia, built in two main stages. About 1871, freed slaves began settling here, and Ned Brown later sold small parcels to others. The Brown and Flanagan families built frame houses in the 1880s and 1890s, and three Flanagan houses survive, vacant and deteriorated. A railroad stop established in 1881 brought a second phase of growth, including two-story frame houses, a station master's house, stores and a depot, which was later torn down. The Evergreen Baptist Church, built in 1891 by a black Baptist congregation, remains a visual landmark with its steeple and Gothic-style windows. The district also includes the Bethel church cemetery and the remains of a sulphur mining operation from the early 1920s, the only one of its kind in the county. Proffit was listed as the most intact and best documented historically black community in Albemarle County, with a period of significance from 1871 to 1948.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is significant under Criterion A at the local level as the most intact and best documented historically black community in Albemarle County. It began with land bought by freed slaves in 1871 and grew after a railroad stop opened in 1881. The 1891 Evergreen Baptist Church and the early 1900s sulphur mine site add to its importance.
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 99000145, listed February 5, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly the area around the jct. of Southern RR tracks and VA 649, Proffit |
|---|---|
| County | Albemarle County |
| Listed | February 5, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000145 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1871-1948 |
| Architect / builder | Ned Brown - builder; Elijah Cox - builder; Henry Leake - builder |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival and Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition varies from deteriorated to excellent. The three Flanagan houses are vacant and deteriorated, Evergreen Baptist Church is in excellent condition, and the mine site is in ruinous condition. Many buildings are used as residences. |
| Acreage | 54.7 |
| Coordinates | 38.11110, -78.42437 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 99000145.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7248239
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.