Belmead (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: St. Francis de Sales School for Girls; St. Emma Military Academy; St. Emma Industrial and Agricultural College; St. Emma Industrial and Agricultural Institute; Dhr Id#: 072-0049
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Belmead is a two-story, stuccoed brick house in Powhatan County, Virginia, begun around 1845 for Philip St. George Cocke and designed by Gothic Revival architect Alexander Jackson Davis. Towers with Tudor-arched openings, crenellations, diamond-paned casement windows, clustered chimney stacks and stepped gable ends give it a medieval character, while the interior has tall double doors, coffered ceilings and marble mantels echoing the Tudor arch. The design was adapted from a Northern style into a more open form suited to Southern living, and the house is paired with Staunton Hill as the state's only complete Gothic Villa expression. Cocke was a progressive agronomist and a Confederate brigadier general. After later owners, Belmead was bought in the 1890s by Edward and Louise Morrell, who conveyed it in 1897 to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for a school educating Black and Native American students. It continued as part of that school's campus.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls Belmead one of the few remaining Gothic-style residences in Virginia, and with Staunton Hill the only complete expression of the Gothic Villa in the state. It was designed by the nationally significant Gothic Revival architect A. J. Davis. It is also important for its long association with the education of southern Black students at the school founded there in 1897.
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 100011700, listed April 14, 2025. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5004 Cartersville Road, Powhatan |
|---|---|
| County | Powhatan County |
| Listed | April 14, 2025 |
| Reference number | 100011700 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1845) |
| Architect / builder | Alexander Jackson Davis (architect) |
| Architectural style | Gothic Villa / Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Social History, Agriculture, Ethnic Heritage-Black |
| Level of significance | National, State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, altered, and occupied; in use as part of a Catholic military school. The interior was adapted for school faculty use, and an extensive addition was built by the school. |
| Acreage | 2265 |
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 100011700.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.