Millwood Colored School
Also known as: Millwood Community Center; VDHR No. 021-0192-0008
Why it's listed
Built around 1910, this one-story frame schoolhouse on Millwood Road served the African-American community of Millwood until 1952. It replaced an earlier Reconstruction-era school on the same lot, and funding came from local resident Graham F. Blandy. Students learned carpentry, sewing and cooking along with basic academics, and the school was noted for facilities few small rural schools had. The hip-roofed building sits on a limestone foundation and is clad in German-lap siding, with a recessed entry, two doors, scalloped rafter ends and molded interior trim with bull's-eye corner blocks. It is larger and more refined than other African-American schools in the county. After the school closed and pupils were bussed to Berryville, the Millwood Good Will Association bought it and renamed it the Millwood Community Center. It is recognized for its role in Black education and as the county's most intact two-room school of its kind.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be locally significant under Criteria A and C in the areas of Education, Black Ethnic Heritage and Architecture. It continued a school tradition in Millwood dating to about 1869, where children learned reading, writing and trades. It is described as the largest and most intact two-room African-American school in Clarke County, built with funds from Graham F. Blandy.
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 00001431, listed November 22, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1610 Millwood Rd., Boyce |
|---|---|
| County | Clarke County |
| Listed | November 22, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00001431 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1910-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used since 1952 as the Millwood Community Center by a local non-profit for meetings and social and cultural activities; it was unused from 1982 to 1991, and the interior is being updated for more events. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Within district | Greenway Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.07478, -78.04194 (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 00001431.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712856
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.