Jericho School
Also known as: 016-5014
Why it's listed
Jericho School is a one-room frame schoolhouse on Jericho Road in rural southern Caroline County, Virginia. Built about 1917 to replace an earlier log school, it measures roughly 20 by 40 feet, with weatherboard siding, a gable roof, six-over-six windows and a single front entrance flanked by small cloakrooms. A sunburst-patterned louvered vent on the front gable is its only decoration, and the blank east wall held the blackboard. The school served African-American children until it closed at the end of the 1961-62 school year. It is significant for education and ethnic heritage, reflecting the efforts of local families to educate their children with limited public support. Its plan also closely resembles a one-teacher design published by the Rosenwald Fund, even though it apparently received no Rosenwald money. The county sold the building in 1962 and it became rental housing. A preservation group formed in 2001 has since reversed many of the later alterations.
Significance in brief: The school is argued to be an excellent, intact example of an early-twentieth-century one-room African-American school, representing the movement to educate Black children and the self-help efforts of the local community (Criterion A, education and ethnic heritage). It also closely resembles a Rosenwald Fund one-teacher plan, though apparently not built with Rosenwald money, and represents an increasingly rare building type (Criterion C).
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 04000041, listed February 11, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jericho Rd., Ruther Glen |
|---|---|
| County | Caroline County |
| Listed | February 11, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000041 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1917-1953 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant and not in use. Caroline County sold it in 1962, and it later served as a rental residence. A nonprofit formed in 2001 has since removed 1960s partitions and restored windows and weatherboard. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 37.92915, -77.51193 (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 04000041.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712627
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.