Second Union School
Also known as: DHR File # 037-5051
Why it's listed
Built in 1918 beside Second Union Baptist Church in western Goochland County, this one-story, two-room schoolhouse was erected with help from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. It has wood weatherboard walls, a hipped slate roof, a small projecting gabled entrance section, and two front doors that once led to separate primary and upper-grade rooms. Original chalkboards, pine walls and light fixtures survive. The $2,000 cost came mostly from public funds, with $150 from the African American community and $50 from the Rosenwald Fund. The school educated local children until 1959, when students moved to an integrated school nearby, and the county then sold the building to the church. It is the oldest surviving Rosenwald school in Goochland County, and the other early Rosenwald schools there have been converted to other uses. Former students recall its wood stove and its teachers. The church now uses it for storage, and church, historical society and county groups hope to restore it as a museum of Black history and education.
Significance in brief: It is the oldest surviving Rosenwald school building in Goochland County and one of the best preserved of the county's Rosenwald schools. It is significant for its role in African American education and ethnic heritage (Criterion A) and as a typical, highly intact example of Rosenwald two-teacher school design (Criterion C). It stands on its original site with no structural changes.
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 05001583, listed January 31, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2787 Hadensville Fife Rd., Goochland |
|---|---|
| County | Goochland County |
| Listed | January 31, 2006 |
| Reference number | 05001583 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1917 - 1955 |
| Architectural style | Other |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used by the adjoining church for storage; in fair to good structural condition, with the church having replaced the roof and kept the building in good repair. Local groups intend to restore it as a Black history museum. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 37.76471, -78.05251 (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 05001583.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7443614
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.