Randolph, Virginia, Cottage
Also known as: Virginia E. Randolph Museum; Virginia Cardwell Cottage; Home E
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Why it's listed
Built in 1937 with Federal funds, this small one-and-a-half story building at 2200 Mountain Road in Glen Allen served as the home economics building of the Virginia Randolph Training School. It measures roughly 40 by 25 feet. After the school ceased to be a high school in 1969, Henrico County converted the cottage into a museum commemorating Virginia Randolph, rearranging the interior to hold document cases and memorabilia. The exterior is unchanged, and Randolph is buried on the grounds. The listing rests on her importance rather than on the architecture. Born in Richmond in 1874 to parents who were former slaves, she taught at the Mountain Road School for fifteen years. In 1908 she became the first Jeanes Supervising Industrial Teacher, a position that became the model for teacher supervision in Black schools across the South and in several other countries. She devoted 57 years to Black education in Henrico County and retired in 1949.
Significance in brief: The property is tied to Virginia E. Randolph, who became the first Jeanes Supervising Industrial Teacher in 1908. That role became the model for Jeanes teachers across the South and later in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The nomination stresses her place in the history of Black education and its vocational approach. It states the building itself has no particular architectural significance.
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 74002126, listed December 2, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2200 Mountain Rd., Glen Allen |
|---|---|
| County | Henrico County |
| Listed | December 2, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74002126 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 20th Century |
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated December 2, 1974 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellently maintained small museum run by the county school board; no exterior alteration since construction, with interior partitions rearranged for display cases. |
| Within district | Warminster Rural Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.66113, -77.48167 (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 74002126.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7934470
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.