Cornland School

Cornland School is a small wooden schoolhouse in Chesapeake built in the early 1900s. The building has six-over-six windows, wooden siding on its walls, and a metal roof topped with a brick chimney running down its center.

The school opened in 1903 and taught African American children during the era of racial segregation. It closed in 1952 as integration began to reshape education in the region.

The school served as a gathering place for the African American community in the area. Visitors can sense the connection to former students who continue to care for the building and share stories about what this place meant to them.

The building is managed by the City of Chesapeake Parks Department and welcomes visitors. It serves as stop number five on the African American Heritage Trail, making it easy to combine with other related sites in the area.

This is the last remaining school building from before the Rosenwald era in Virginia's Tidewater region. Its survival makes it a rare window into a time when such structures were rapidly disappearing from the landscape.

Location: Chesapeake

Inception: 1903

Address: 2309 Benefit Road

GPS coordinates: 36.62694,-76.30556

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:12