The Moore Street School, Thirteen Acres School and Dwellings of the Enslaved Make Preservation Virginia’s 2023 List

Today Preservation Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places List 2023 was released, highlighting historic places across the commonwealth facing imminent or sustained threats to their existence. The Most Endangered List is released annually by Preservation Virginia each May and highlights historic places across the commonwealth facing imminent or sustained threats. So far, the program has highlighted 170 sites, boosting public awareness and encouraging advocacy efforts to save these endangered pieces of history for years to come.

Historic Richmond supporters may recognize Thirteen Acres and the Moore Street School from previous newsletters; both are now on the endangered list under the Historic Schools in Virginia category. The Moore Street School (1887) is the oldest surviving purpose-built public school for Black students in Richmond. Thirteen Acres (1885) was originally a farmhouse and served many different functions before it was purchased by the City of Richmond in 1967. These properties are currently owned by Richmond Public Schools and suffer from deferred maintenance.

Also relevant is the thematic statewide listing for Dwellings of the Enslaved, a topic that we have highlighted in past programming including 2021's lecture, "The History and Documentation of Slave Housing In Virginia." Dwellings for the enslaved, in many cases built by enslaved carpenters and masons, are critical and complex cultural sites that embody the history of slavery and its legacies of racism and divisive politics in the post-bellum world and today. There are several of these important structures hiding in plain sight throughout the city.

Historic Richmond is pleased to see these valuable pieces of our city’s past in the spotlight, as we continue to work with our local community partners to find a way to preserve them for future generations.