New London Academy
Why it's listed
New London Academy is a school campus near Forest in Bedford County, Virginia, still operating on the site it has occupied since about 1797. Its surviving early buildings are a brick academy constructed around 1837-39, with interior end chimneys, a low hipped roof and Flemish bond brickwork, and a frame kitchen with a central chimney that now serves as a museum. Later windows and other changes have altered the original three-bay symmetry. Chartered by the General Assembly in 1795 and partly funded by a state-authorized lottery, the academy began as a classical school for boys that was regarded as among the most useful in the state. After the Civil War it became co-educational, joined the public school system in the 1880s, trained teachers, and in 1910 became a District Agricultural High School. Boarding ended in 1929, and the high school division left in 1964. It is described as the only public school in Virginia operating under a General Assembly charter.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the academy as a microcosm of Virginia schooling from the Jeffersonian era to the present. It was chartered by the General Assembly in 1795 and is described as the only public school in Virginia operating under a legislative charter. It has adapted from a classical boys' school to a co-educational, public and agricultural high school community institution.
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 72001385, listed April 13, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Near jct. of VA 297 and VA 211, Forest |
|---|---|
| County | Bedford (city and county) |
| Listed | April 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001385 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1837-39 |
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continues in operation as a school on its original site; condition marked good and altered; the brick building remains in use. |
| Acreage | 18.5 |
| Coordinates | 37.30772, -79.30516 (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 72001385.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712956
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.