Beaverdam Depot
Also known as: Dhl42-81
Why it's listed
Beaverdam Depot is a long, narrow, one-story brick railroad building in the center of Beaverdam, Hanover County, Virginia. Built around 1865 and 1866, it replaced earlier depots on the same line that Union cavalry raids burned during the Civil War. The brick is laid in American bond and enlivened with corbelled cornices, pendant patterns at the gable ends, and pilasters at the corners and between wall panels. A hipped porch roof with chamfered posts faces the community. Inside, the building holds two waiting rooms, a ticket window, an office, a baggage room and a freight room, all retaining original finishes, a safe, switching mechanisms and a scale. The waiting rooms were divided into white and black sections between 1900 and 1910, as segregation became law in Virginia. The depot is valued as a well-preserved postwar rural station and as a physical reminder of segregation in rail travel. It is no longer in use.
Significance in brief: The depot is a well-preserved example of postbellum rural railroad architecture, with decorative brickwork and an intact interior. It reflects the growing power of the railroad industry after the Civil War. Its separate white and black waiting rooms, added between 1900 and 1910, document the spread of racial segregation in the South.
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 88002060, listed November 8, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | On C & O RR tracks at jct. of VA 715 and 739, Beaverdam |
|---|---|
| County | Hanover County |
| Listed | November 8, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002060 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1866-1938 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The depot is no longer in use; current function is listed as vacant/not in use. The interior is described as remarkably intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.94109, -77.65374 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 88002060.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712007
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.