Belmead

Belmead is a historic institution located in Powhatan, Virginia, United States. This remarkable collection of historic sites includes the Gothic Revival manor house designed in 1845 by renowned architect Alexander Jackson Davis. Originally built by enslaved people for plantation owners, Belmead-on-the-James was later transformed into a center for the education of young African American and Native American students by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

The institution, once a place of enslavement, has touched the lives of many thousands of students over the years, including members of the elite Tuskegee Airmen and Civil Rights leaders. However, after financial setbacks in the 1970s, most of the school buildings were demolished, leaving only three major historic structures standing today.

Belmead-on-the-James is currently facing serious deterioration, with the mansion and the St. Francis de Sales High School in need of immediate rehabilitation to prevent further structural damage. Without significant support, these historic buildings may be lost forever.

Your support is crucial in ensuring the preservation of Belmead and other important historic places across the nation. Join us in protecting America's places that matter for future generations and help make a vibrant future possible for our nation's most important sites.