Belmead (Powhatan, Virginia) facts for kids
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Belmead
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Belmead, September 2012
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | NW of jct. of Rtes. 663 and 600, near Powhatan, Virginia |
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| Area | 0 acres (0 ha) |
| Built | c. 1845 |
| Architect | Davis, Alexander J. |
| Architectural style | Gothic, Gothic Villa |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000270 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 12, 1969 |
Belmead is a historic plantation house located near Powhatan, Virginia. It was designed by a famous architect named Alexander Jackson Davis. The house was built around 1845.
Later, Belmead became home to two important schools for African-American students. These schools included a special military academy for Black boys.
Contents
History of Belmead
Early Days and Philip Cocke
Belmead was built by Philip St. George Cocke starting in 1835. Philip was the son of John Hartwell Cocke. He went to the University of Virginia and the United States Military Academy. After serving in the US Army for a year, he resigned in 1834.
Philip then spent his time managing large farms in Virginia and Mississippi. Belmead was one of these farms. Philip St. George Cocke married Sarah Elizabeth Courtney Bowdoin. They had eleven children. The last nine children were born at Belmead.
During Cocke's time at Belmead, many enslaved people were forced to work on the farm. In 1840, records show 82 enslaved people worked there. This number grew to 118 in 1850 and 124 in 1860. These individuals performed many tasks on the tobacco and grain farm.
In 1861, Cocke became a brigadier general for Virginia. He fought in the First Battle of Bull Run. Later that year, he returned to Belmead.
Black Catholic Schools at Belmead
In 1897, the property was given to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. This group was led by Katharine Drexel, who later became a saint. In 1899, they opened St. Francis de Sales School. This was a school for Black girls.
St. Emma Military Academy for boys also opened on the property. It was named after Katharine's stepmother, Emma. Edward de Veaux Morrell and his wife Louise (Katharine's half-sister) started this school. Together, these schools helped educate 15,000 Black students.
Belmead was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The schools closed in the early 1970s.
Sale and Preservation Efforts
In 2016, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament decided to sell the 2,265-acre property. A group of community members and former students formed a nonprofit organization. It was called Belmead on the James. Their goal was to raise money to help save the property.
In June 2019, Jeff Oakley bought the property for $6 million. He has since allowed former students to give tours. This helps share the history of Belmead with more people.
Belmead's Architecture
The main house at Belmead is a two-story building. It is built in the Gothic Revival style. The house has stuccoed brick walls. A three-story section rises in the middle of the roof.
It features a square tower with strong corner supports. The tower has decorative battlements at the top. It also has special horizontal bands called belt courses. The ground floor has arched openings shaped like Tudor arches. The windows have small, diamond-shaped panes of glass.
The roof has groups of round and many-sided chimney stacks. The ends of the gables are stepped, giving them a unique look. An older kitchen building was later made part of a large addition to the house. This addition was built by the school.
