Mt. Zion Schoolhouse
Why it's listed
Built in 1876 on a tract bought by the Trustees of the North River Free Public Schools, this long, rectangular frame building with a gable roof served rural students west of Mt. Solon. It was moved from farther west to its present site near Mt. Zion United Brethren Church by about 1915, and the church gave the school its name. By 1880 it had 65 students, with an average daily attendance of 34. It remained in use for white students through 1942; in its last years only one classroom held grades one through four, and the other stored wood and water. After a 1948 sale it was remodeled into two apartments, changing the doors and windows, but the interior still has wood-sheathed walls, beaded wainscoting and a board partition. It is considered the oldest surviving two-room school in the county and the best example of its type, even though it is more altered than two other nominated two-room schools. Today it stands vacant, in fair condition.
Significance in brief: It is described as the only surviving two-room schoolhouse from the 1870s, the first decade of public school construction in the county. It is also the least altered of the schools originally built as two rooms, and it keeps much of its original interior wood sheathing. It was one of the few two-room schools used for white students through 1942.
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 85000392, 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 747, Mt. Solon |
|---|---|
| County | Augusta County |
| Listed | February 27, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000392 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Education, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant, in fair condition. It was remodeled into two apartments after 1948 and has not been altered since. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 38.33685, -79.12676 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 85000392.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712932
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.