Stonega Historic District
Also known as: 097-0042
Why it's listed
Stonega is a coal company town strung along Callahans Creek in the mountains of eastern Wise County, near the Kentucky line. The Stonega Coke and Coal Company opened it in 1896, and most surviving buildings date from 1895 to about 1915. The remaining resources fall into three groups: Red Row, a historically Black neighborhood of double houses; a central area made up of the Park, Quality Row and Hunktown; and Midway, a later row of single-family houses built in 1914. Housing followed company rank, with large frame houses for managers and doctors on Park Place and board-and-batten duplexes for miners. The Stonega Colored School, a two-story frame building, served as a school and a community meeting place for the segregated Red Row community. Two brick buildings from the late 1930s, a bathhouse and a supply warehouse, survive near the old coke oven site. The district is recognized for its architecture and its role in coal industry history from 1895 to 1952.
Significance in brief: Stonega is described as one of the earliest and longest-lived coal company towns in the Southwest Virginia coalfields. It is significant for architecture and for industry, with company housing arranged by rank and race, and it retains a rare two-story school and social building from the segregated Red Row community.
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 03001435, listed January 16, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | VA 600, form 0.1 mi. N of jct with VA 685 to a point approx. 3 mi. to the NE, Appalachia |
|---|---|
| County | Wise County |
| Listed | January 16, 2004 |
| Reference number | 03001435 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1895-1952 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival; Bungalow/Craftsman; Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current functions include dwellings and a religious facility. The Stonega Colored Methodist Church still serves a religious function. Some resources are listed as vacant or not in use, and the former coke oven area is nearly vacant land. |
| Acreage | 105 |
| Within district | East Radford Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 37.14048, -80.55487 (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).
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 03001435.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16900746
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.