Old Portlock School #5
Also known as: 131-0626
Why it's listed
Old Portlock School #5 is a one-story red brick schoolhouse at Bainbridge Boulevard and Freeman Avenue in Chesapeake's South Norfolk area. Completed in 1908 to designs by Norfolk architects Finlay Forbes Ferguson and Charles J. Calrow, it has a hipped metal roof, a high basement, twenty-eight tall twelve-over-twelve windows and a temple-fronted portico with Ionic columns. Inside, a central hallway separates four classrooms. It replaced mostly one-room wooden schools and was among the first to serve students from several nearby communities in a larger building. Its Colonial Revival design reflected the rise of public education and monumental school buildings in Virginia after the 1902 state constitution increased school funding. The school taught students until the mid-1960s, then served for storage, offices and civic use. A careful rehabilitation in 1994-95 returned it to its 1908 appearance, and it now operates as a museum and information center.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is a good example of the early 20th-century American schoolhouse, with a central hallway, large windows and a monumental classical portico. It reflects the growth of public education in Virginia after the 1902 state constitution. It was also the first modern, free public school in Portlock, replacing mostly one-room wooden schools.
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 00000066, listed February 4, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3815 Bainbridge Blvd., Chesapeake (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Chesapeake |
| Listed | February 4, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000066 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908 |
| Architect / builder | Finlay Forbes Ferguson and Charles J. Calrow, architects; contractor J. W. Jones |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in 1994-95 and in use as Chesapeake's Museum and Information Center, dedicated in 1997. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 36.78726, -76.28121 (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 00000066.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15263844
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.