Virginia Home
Also known as: 044--5010
Why it's listed
Built in 1920 at 986 Field Avenue in Fieldale, Virginia, the Virginia Home began as a dormitory for women working at the Fieldcrest towel mill. Marshall Field and Company of Chicago created Fieldale between 1917 and 1919, and as more women entered the mill workforce the company needed housing for young, unmarried workers. John Smith, the company's construction manager, built the two-story, seven-bay frame house with a hip roof and full two-story porch, closely copying the earlier Fieldale Hotel. Inside are a parlor, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms along a central corridor. A cook's house, wash house and staff cottage survive on the 0.7-acre lot. The company ran the boarding house until 1955; afterward the Merriman family operated it until 1996. Its dining room hosted civic club dinners and receptions until 1979, and the cottage lodged visiting baseball teams. Its intact plan, outbuildings and mill-town setting underpin its local significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is locally significant under Criterion A for its link to the labor history of a textile mill and company town in the early twentieth century. It housed female mill workers in a town created by Marshall Field and Company. It also served as a community gathering place and keeps its original plan, outbuildings and setting beside the still-operating mill.
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 00000495, listed May 24, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 986 Field Ave., Fieldale |
|---|---|
| County | Henry County |
| Listed | May 24, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000495 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1920-1955 |
| Architect / builder | John Smith (Builder) |
| Architectural style | Other: Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as single dwelling with secondary structures; the adjacent Fieldcrest Mills is described as still operating. The dining room closed to the public in 1979. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Within district | Fieldale Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.70551, -79.93989 (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 00000495.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713459
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.