Moffett's Creek Schoolhouse
Why it's listed
Moffett's Creek Schoolhouse is a frame school building on Route 681 near Newport in Augusta County, Virginia. It began as a one-room school built soon after the School Board bought an acre from John and Elizabeth Hite in 1873. An addition from the 1880s, built at a right angle, gave it an L-shaped plan with two rooms. Both parts rest on stone foundations, and the original west room keeps its two-bay gable-end facade and 6/6 sash windows. Inside, narrow matchboard wainscoting, plaster, original floors and ceilings, and a blackboard in the addition survive. By 1890 Newport's school was one of 22 two-room graded schools in the county, with 68 pupils enrolled. A larger masonry school replaced it in 1923, and the old property was sold to a Lutheran church the next year. Because it was never turned into a house, it remains one of the best-preserved examples of a one-room school enlarged into a graded school.
Significance in brief: It clearly shows how many Augusta County schools grew from one room to two rooms in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was not converted into a dwelling, so it keeps its ca. 1890 plan and much of its interior finish. It also reflects Newport's growth as a community.
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 85000389, listed February 27, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | VA 681, Newport |
|---|---|
| County | Augusta County |
| Listed | February 27, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000389 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Education, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is stated as good and unaltered; present use is a woodworking shop, and the building has been well maintained by the church cemetery association. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 38.00229, -79.30762 (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 85000389.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712867
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.