Callaway, Pompey, House
Also known as: 60-434
Why it's listed
Pompey Callaway House is a two-story brick dwelling in Elliston, Montgomery County, Virginia, completed in 1910. It follows the regionally popular single-pile, center-passage form, with a symmetrical three-bay south front, six-over-six sash windows, soldier-course segmental arches and a center entry with sidelights and transom. Several details echo much older buildings, including segmentally arched basement vents, projecting gable-end chimneys that carry only stove flues, and four-light casement windows beside the chimneys. Callaway, a former slave from Franklin County who worked as a station worker, reportedly built the house over many years on weekends. Local tradition says he made the bricks himself from crushed shale and clay, fired in a kiln near the house, and modeled the design on his former master's home. Among the county's surveyed houses of this type built after 1865, none kept early features as fully. It is also considered one of the most substantial houses built for a black owner in the county before 1920.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an unusual late example of the traditional single-pile, center-passage dwelling form, keeping archaic details that link it to earlier periods. No other early twentieth-century house in the county surveys kept earlier features to the same degree. It is also described as one of the most substantial houses built for a black owner in Montgomery County before 1920.
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 89001811, listed November 13, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | VA 754, 0.2 mi. E of US 460, Elliston |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | November 13, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001811 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1910 |
| Architect / builder | Pompey Callaway |
| Architectural style | Single-pile center-passage plan (vernacular) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Single dwelling still in residential use; in good condition with original features intact. Modern ell added at the rear and a noncontributing garage. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.21660, -80.22987 (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 89001811.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713083
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.