Nansemond County Training School
Also known as: Southwestern High School; 133-5065
Why it's listed
Built in 1924, this brick school in Suffolk, Virginia, served the African American community of southwestern Nansemond County. It was a six-teacher school with a central auditorium, a recessed porch and two classroom wings, closely resembling a Rosenwald school plan, though with a hipped tin roof. Construction cost $18,000, drawn from community contributions, public funds and $1,500 from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. It became the county's first black high school and was certified by the state in 1931. Students studied academic subjects, home economics and agriculture, and its students won national judging contests in the late 1930s. Parents bought the first school bus in 1939. A 1950 addition provided classroom space, and a newer school was built beside it in the 1950s. The complex was renamed Southwestern High School in 1964 and closed as a high school after 1969-70. The old building now stands vacant, retaining much of its original layout, windows and tile floor, along with a wood-frame cafeteria building.
Significance in brief: It was built as the first public black high school in Nansemond County and was partly funded by the Julius Rosenwald Fund. It is significant under Criterion A for serving the county's African American population and its Rosenwald association, and under Criterion C for retaining substantial architectural integrity as an example of rural southern school architecture.
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 04000847, listed August 11, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 9307 Southwestern Blvd., Suffolk (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk |
| Listed | August 11, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000847 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1955 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The historic school building sits vacant and is used occasionally for storage. It is in slight disrepair, with boarded exterior windows and a buckling floor. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.63961, -76.80410 (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 04000847.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16895691
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.