Kentland Farm Historic and Archeological District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: 060-0202
Why it's listed
Kentland Farm is a historic plantation property near Blacksburg, Virginia, established by James Randall and Mary Cloyd Kent, with a mid-1830s brick farmhouse at its center. This amendment to the district adds one contributing site, a slave cemetery identified in 2004 and 2005. Local oral history from the Wake Forest community, whose members are largely descended from people enslaved at Kentland, led researchers to the site. Five exploratory trenches revealed 24 grave shafts and several post molds on a ridge top northeast of the farmhouse. Other excavations near the farmhouse uncovered the buried remains of a detached kitchen, a possible early structure in the east yard, and a slave quarter later used as a tenant house. Researchers also found a Late Woodland prehistoric occupation with New River Ware ceramics. Together, these findings show how much the property can reveal about Native American settlement and plantation life in Southwest Virginia.
Significance in brief: Archaeological work since 2001 has deepened understanding of the Kentland domestic complex, the slave quarters and slave cemeteries, and revealed a Late Woodland prehistoric occupation. The newly identified slave cemetery, found with the Wake Forest descendant community, required adjusting the district boundary. The research shows the property's potential to inform Late Woodland settlement patterns and 19th-century plantation life in Southwest Virginia.
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 06000801, listed September 6, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W terminus Whitethorne Rd., Blacksburg |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | September 6, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000801 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Federal; Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Prehistoric, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Exploration/Settlement, Industry, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Virginia Tech administers the property, and its College of Agriculture and Life Sciences operates it as the College Farm; the farmhouse is a single dwelling and the property also serves as a research facility. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.18966, -80.57961 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 06000801.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712660
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.