Cifax Rural Historic District
Also known as: DHR File No. 9-254
Why it's listed
Cifax Rural Historic District covers roughly 1,800 acres of open farmland and wooded hillsides in a small upland valley of northeastern Bedford County, Virginia. Narrow tree-lined roads link farms whose houses and barns date from the second quarter of the nineteenth century to the present. Log dwellings, such as the Dillard Coffey and David Haynes houses, sit alongside frame farmhouses built in the early twentieth century and The Cedars, a Greek Revival brick house that is the only pre-twentieth-century brick building in the area. Three church buildings, an early school and the site of a locally important store add to the mix. The district is tied to the Poindexter family, who divided a large landholding into the area's first farms. It also reflects village commerce under Henry Thomson and the settlement of Scotchbroom City, a black community with its own Baptist church and school. Most farmers still raise cattle, corn and hay.
Significance in brief: The district preserves a well-kept Piedmont farming landscape with log, frame and brick buildings that show the persistence of regional building traditions. Its history also covers the Poindexter family landholdings, the village's commercial life centered on the Thomson store and Cash Bargain House, and the Scotchbroom City black community with its church and school. The exact criteria and period are not fully legible in the truncated text.
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 92000052, listed February 20, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of VA 644 and VA 643 and surrounding valley area, Cifax |
|---|---|
| County | Bedford (city and county) |
| Listed | February 20, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000052 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Colonial Revival; Regional Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Many buildings remain in domestic and agricultural use, but the form lists current functions that include vacant/not in use; some structures, such as the Logwood-Williams House, are collapsed. The Thomson store burned in 1968. |
| Acreage | 1800 |
| Coordinates | 37.41724, -79.40760 (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 92000052.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712175
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.