Belmead-on-the-James — a little-known plantation along the James River in rural Powhatan County — is one of the most endangered historic sites in the country, according to a national preservation group.
The sprawling 2,000-acre plantation site, owned by a group of nuns, has been added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places."
The annual list draws attention to examples of architectural, cultural and natural heritage "at risk of destruction or irreparable damage," according to the organization.
Built by slaves, Belmead's Gothic Revival manor house was designed in 1845 by renowned architect Alexander Jackson Davis. It was purchased in the 1890s by Katharine Drexel, who would later become one of only two American-born saints in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, which Drexel established, would transform the plantation into two schools for African-American and American-Indian students. The former mansion became St. Emma Agricultural and Industrial Institute for boys, and an 1895 Gothic-towered building became the home of St. Francis de Sales High School for girls.
Since the schools were shuttered in the 1970s, the property has deteriorated significantly due to a lack of funds for upkeep. Only three major structures remain: the mansion, an 1841 stone granary; and the 1895 St. Francis de Sales High School.
Last year, that school's four-story bell tower collapsed, shearing off part of the brick façade and leaving the interior open to the elements.
"There are so many wonderful ways in which Belmead-on-the-James could be — and should be — adaptively reused to continue to meet the mission of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament," said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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