Rogers' Store
Why it's listed
Rogers' Store is a crossroads retail complex in the Carsley community of Surry County, Virginia. The oldest building, a one-and-one-half-story store with a retail room and heated counting room, dates from 1827 and was later known as Gwaltney's Store. About 1894, J.W. (Watt) Rogers built a two-story gable-front store in front of it, with a full-length porch, turned posts, carved brackets and original built-in shelving. A covered breezeway joins the two buildings. The site also includes a cinderblock voting shed from about 1960, a deteriorating wooden outbuilding and the foundation of a bungalow destroyed by Hurricane Hazel. The store closed in 1952 after serving the community for 130 years. Store records show it acted as a post office, pharmacy, radio repair shop and home of the Surry-Sussex Telephone Company. Its listing rests on its role as a community center and on the well-preserved construction of its two main buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the store served as the community hub of Carsley for 130 years, housing a post office, pharmacy, radio repair shop and the Surry-Sussex Telephone Company. It also holds that the 1827 and 1894 buildings are well preserved examples of their respective periods of construction, joined by a breezeway that left the original fabric largely unaltered.
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 02000595, listed May 30, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of VA 615 and VA 612, Surry |
|---|---|
| County | Surry County |
| Listed | May 30, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000595 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1827-1952 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Communications |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The 1.28-acre property was donated to the Surry County Historical Society and Museums in 1999. The store closed in 1952, the form lists current function as work in progress, and the wooden outbuilding is deteriorating with a collapsed roof. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 37.09563, -77.00392 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 02000595.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15272955
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.