Peabody Building of the Peabody-Williams School
Also known as: 123-5019
Why it's listed
Built in 1920 on Jones Street in Petersburg, Virginia, this two-story red brick building served as the city's public high school for African American students during the era of segregated schooling. It was one of a matching pair with the Williams Building, a junior high school destroyed by fire in 1967. The T-shaped Peabody Building holds classrooms in the front section and an auditorium at the rear, with a projecting center entry, wooden cornice and a brownstone watertable. Architect Charles M. Robinson, known for educational buildings across Virginia, designed it. The school was the first in Petersburg built exclusively as a high school for Black students and served in that role until 1950, when a new high school opened. An elementary school then used it into the 1960s. It is now the oldest surviving school in the city built for African American children, and it conveys both local educational history and a standard Virginia school design. The building is currently vacant.
Significance in brief: It was the first building in Petersburg constructed exclusively as a high school for African American students and is the oldest surviving school in the city built for them. It reflects education and ethnic heritage under a segregated school system. It also represents the work of Charles M. Robinson, a noted designer of Virginia school buildings, and a traditional school plan used statewide.
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 00000891, listed August 2, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jones St., Petersburg (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Petersburg |
| Listed | August 2, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000891 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1920-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Charles M. Robinson |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Vernacular Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant, not in use; the form notes the building is in need of repair but retains all of its original architectural features. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Halifax Triangle and Downtown Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.22314, -77.40670 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 00000891.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7157222
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.