Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/17/2010
NRHP Listing Date 09/24/2010
NRHP Reference Number 10000794
Delisted from VLR on 09/15/2016
Delisted from NRHP on 02/07/2017
The Chapel was built in 1904 as part of the Central State Hospital, which opened in 1885 in Dinwiddie County as a segregated facility for mentally ill African Americans. The building was used for social activities such as dances and concerts as well as daily and Sunday worship services. Today the chapel is a reminder of the state’s unequal treatment of African Americans during the era of segregation and the evolving history of mental health treatment facilities.
The Central State Hospital Chapel was listed at the statewide level of significance in the areas of Black Ethnic Heritage and Health/Medicine. After being vacant for a number of years, the state-owned building was compromised by deferred maintenance, leading to its eventual collapse in May of 2014.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: February 11, 2021
