Tacoma School
Also known as: Tacoma School Community Center; DHR File No.097-0001
Why it's listed
Tacoma School is a one-story, nine-bay brick schoolhouse on Stone Mountain Road near Coeburn, Wise County, Virginia. It was built around 1922 from a 1911 North Carolina plan book design, one of four Wise County schools believed to follow that plan. A fire in 1936 damaged it badly, and it was rebuilt on its original foundation in 1937 with a hip roof and the same tall twelve-over-twelve windows with transoms. Inside, four original classrooms open off a central hall, retaining wainscoting, chalkboards and wood floors. The school served the community of Tacoma, a coal and railroad town incorporated in 1890 that later declined, until the county school board closed it in 1973. A local non-profit group bought it in 1993, and it now serves as a community center for meetings, polling, picnics and bluegrass music. It is one of only two surviving schools of its type in the county and the only one in public use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is the sole visible reminder of the former coal and rail town of Tacoma, tying it to the region's coal mining and railroad boom (Criterion A). It also reflects the influence of North Carolina's 1911 public schoolhouse plans on schools in southwestern Virginia (Criterion C). It is one of only two surviving schools of four in Wise County built from those plans.
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 97001072, listed September 12, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 4408 Stone Mountain Rd., Coeburn |
|---|---|
| County | Wise County |
| Listed | September 12, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001072 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1946 |
| Architect / builder | [based on plans by] Thomson, Frank K. & Barrett, Charles W. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century American Movements |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a community center and recreation facility since 1993, with a classroom kept as a period room; also used for voting, meetings and social events. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 36.93505, -82.53204 (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.
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 97001072.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16901034
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.