Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 03/20/2008
NRHP Listing Date 05/15/2008
NRHP Reference Number 08000417
Designed by the Roanoke architectural firm of Smithey and Boynton and constructed in 1939-40 with federal Public Works Administration funds, Covington High School operated from the close of the Great Depression through World War II, and into the Cold War era. Architecturally, the school combines an unusual blend of styles, borrowing elements from Classical, Renaissance, Collegiate Gothic, and Art Deco, which distinguishes it from other more stylistically conservative school buildings of the period in western Virginia. The Covington High School’s founding principal brought strict discipline to the student body, while the school offered a modern educational curriculum for academic scholarship, vocational training, athletics, and community service. The high school also served as a city of Covington community center for concerts, public health vaccinations, military recruitment, and Westvaco union meetings.
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: March 9, 2022
