Martinsville Novelty Corporation Factory
Also known as: VDHR No. 120-5089
Why it's listed
Built in 1929 at 900 Rives Road in Martinsville, Virginia, this three-story brick factory was designed to turn raw lumber into small occasional furniture such as coffee and end tables. Lumber entered one end of the building and finished pieces shipped from the other. A wood storage shed and drying kiln are attached to the northwest end, and a railroad spur and trestle served the plant. A Quonset hut, a concrete-block storage building and a small building once used as a restaurant were added by the late 1940s and early 1950s. The company was organized in 1928, first as Southern Chair and Novelty Corporation, and employed about 115 people in the mid-1970s. Foreign competition and rising costs led to losses, and the plant closed in 1995. The complex is recognized for its link to Martinsville's moderately priced furniture industry and as a well-preserved, purpose-built factory that keeps nearly all of its original windows and supporting buildings.
Significance in brief: The factory is tied to Martinsville's moderately priced furniture-manufacturing industry, which made the city a leading furniture center in the twentieth century. It is also an example of a utilitarian, purpose-built factory that retains its integrity. It is one of only a handful of early-twentieth-century furniture factories still standing within the city limits.
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 10000282, listed May 21, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 900 Rives Rd., Martinsville (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Martinsville |
| Listed | May 21, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000282 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-1960 |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Factory closed in 1995; current function listed as vacant, not in use. A rehabilitation project is planned that includes removing a recent metal shed. |
| Acreage | 3.6 |
| Coordinates | 36.67711, -79.86149 (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 10000282.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16894694
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.