General Electric Specialty Control Plant
Also known as: VDHR File Number 136-5055
Why it's listed
This 25.5-acre campus in northeast Waynesboro, Virginia, was built by General Electric between 1953 and 1955 for its Specialty Control Department and expanded in 1960. The main building pairs a two-story red brick office wing with a large metal-clad factory wing, and the original entry drive, water tower, water tank, construction shed and a ca. 1927 hangar from the earlier Valley Airport remain. Inside, modular office partitions, a cafeteria, an auditorium and hand-painted signs survive. The plant brought more than 140 families from Schenectady, New York, and became one of the city's largest employers. Its engineers developed equipment for military aircraft, relays linking spacecraft with ground control, and numerical controls for machine tools. Plant head Louis T. Rader also campaigned for reopening Virginia's public schools during massive resistance, and his team released the Terminet 300 data terminal in 1969. The property was listed for these contributions at the local level.
Significance in brief: The plant was a major local employer and a site of electronics innovation, including equipment for military aircraft and space vehicles and early computer equipment. It is also linked to Dr. Louis T. Rader, who led the plant and spoke publicly against Virginia's massive resistance to school integration. In 1969 the plant introduced the Terminet 300, the first electronic device to transmit data between remote computers.
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 12000180, listed March 29, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1 Solutions Way, Waynesboro (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Waynesboro |
| Listed | March 29, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000180 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927; 1953-1969 |
| Architect / builder | Whitman, Requardt & Associates, Baltimore, MD (architect); J. A. Jones Construction Company, Charlotte, NC (builder) |
| Architectural style | Other: Industrial Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Communications, Engineering, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Former General Electric campus; the form lists current functions as office building and commercial warehouse/storage. The hangar has been used for storage since the 1950s. |
| Acreage | 25.5 |
| Coordinates | 38.09310, -78.86998 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 12000180.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16981739
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.