Western State Hospital Boundary Increase III
Also known as: Western State Hospital Dairy Barn; Vdhr Id#132-0009
Why it's listed
Southwest of the main Western State Hospital grounds in Staunton, a long concrete-and-frame dairy barn and a small concrete block milk house survive from the hospital's farming operation. The barn, built between 1927 and 1930 and renovated in 1952, is about 260 feet long with 25 bays, a standing-seam metal gambrel roof, exposed rafter ends and cupolas topped with cow weathervanes. The milk house dates from 1946. A historic road, also included, connects them to the hospital's residential area. The group was added to the existing district because it is the only remaining set of buildings tied to the hospital's subsistence farming, which supplied up to 66,000 gallons of milk a year and employed nearly half of the patients as therapy. The barn had a capacity of 104 cows. Both buildings have been used for storage since the state corrections department took over the site in 1981. Their local architectural significance covers 1930 to 1952.
Significance in brief: The barn and milk house are described as locally significant under Criterion C for Architecture. The barn's vernacular style combines a gambrel roof, Bungaloid details and cupolas with cow-motif weathervanes. They are the only surviving buildings representing the hospital's large subsistence farming operation, which employed nearly half its patients as a form of treatment.
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 10000097, listed March 23, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 301 Greenville Ave., Staunton |
|---|---|
| County | Staunton |
| Listed | March 23, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000097 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1930 - 1952 |
| Architect / builder | Commonwealth of Virginia |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Agricultural Vernacular (Bungaloid details) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The barn and milk house have been used for storage since 1981; current function is listed as vacant/not in use. |
| Acreage | 1.7 |
| Coordinates | 38.14376, -79.06756 (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).
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 10000097.
- 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.