Vawter Hall and Old President's House
Why it's listed
Vawter Hall and the Old President's House stand on College Avenue at Virginia State University in Ettrick, Chesterfield County. Both are brick buildings in a modified Queen Anne style. Vawter Hall, finished in 1908, is a three-story, H-plan building with Doric-columned porches, and it housed administration, a bookstore, a cafeteria and theatre activities. The two-and-a-half-story President's House was authorized by the trustees in 1906 and served as the president's residence until the 1930s; both buildings now hold offices. They are the oldest institutional buildings of a college chartered in 1882 as the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, the oldest state-supported college for Black students in the United States. Along with the demolished Johnston Hall and Virginia Hall, they formed the heart of the campus under President James Hugh Johnston, who emphasized vocational training. The school's history shows changing approaches to Black education and its reliance on federal programs through the 20th century.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the two buildings as the oldest institutional buildings of Virginia State University, the oldest state-supported college for Black students in the United States. Together with the now-demolished Johnston Hall and Virginia Hall, they formed the academic and administrative core of the college in the early 20th century. The school's history reflects Black higher education, vocational training and federal programs.
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 80004180, listed May 7, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Virginia State University campus, Ettrick |
|---|---|
| County | Chesterfield County |
| Listed | May 7, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004180 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architectural style | Modified Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vawter Hall and the former President's House are both used as offices; the house stopped being a residence in the 1930s and is now an office annex. The form marks the property occupied and in educational use. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 37.23462, -77.41788 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 80004180.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7917533
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.