Bellevue
Also known as: Dhr 09-03
Why it's listed
Bellevue is a brick farmhouse in rural Bedford County, Virginia, near Goode, built in stages between about 1824 and 1870. The earliest section is Federal in style. Around 1840 Robert C. Steptoe roughly doubled the house with a Greek Revival addition, creating a symmetrical central-hall plan. In 1863 the property passed to James Philemon Holcombe, a lawyer, professor, and Confederate legislator and diplomat. After the war he opened Bellevue High School for boys, adding two frame wings used as a dining room and a library and chapel, plus dormitories and a schoolhouse. The school drew students from across the South and Virginia, including sons of prominent men, and closed in 1909 under competition from public schools. The property was listed for its links to education and politics, to Holcombe, and for its architecture. The dormitory Inkstand, a slave residence, smokehouse, pumphouse, garden and Abbot family cemetery survive on the 24-acre site, and the house remains a private home.
Significance in brief: The property is tied to educator and Confederate politician James Philemon Holcombe, who founded Bellevue High School for boys here after the Civil War. It is also cited as a rare early-nineteenth-century Federal-style house altered after the war to serve as a school. Several historic outbuildings survive.
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 89001917, listed December 19, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | VA 643, 1 mi. E of Goode, Goode |
|---|---|
| County | Bedford (city and county) |
| Listed | December 19, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89001917 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1824-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (James Philemon Holcombe built the 1866-70 wings, dormitories and schoolhouse) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal (with Greek Revival 1840 addition) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a private home, held by descendants of William R. Abbot; the dormitory Inkstand is used as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 24 |
| Within district | Bellevue Rural Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 37.36524, -79.36982 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 89001917.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712015
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.