Galax, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Rosenwald-Felts School

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones, July 2, 2026

1. Rosenwald-Felts School Marker

Inscription. Rosenwald-Felts School
has been listed in the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Built by the community in 1926
A better world through education

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. In addition, it is included in the Rosenwald Schools series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.

Location. 36° 40.13′ N, 80° 54.66′ W. Marker is in Galax, Virginia. It is on Rosenwald Felts Drive 0.1 miles north of Calloway Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 105 Rosenwald Felts Dr, Galax VA 24333, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Virginia

and in the Blue Ridge Highlands.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

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one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mt. Zion C.M.E. Church (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Galax (approx. ¾ mile away); Furniture Manufacturing: A Firm Seat (approx. 0.9 miles away); Galax: Home of Traditional Mountain Music (approx. 0.9 miles away); The Railroad: Lifeline to the World (approx. 0.9 miles away); Carroll County / Grayson County (approx. one mile away); a different marker also named Galax (approx. one mile away); An Early Water System Before Electricity Was Available (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Galax.

Also see . . . Registeration Form for the School.
This form was prepared by Craig A. Wilson, an independent planner/consultant, and submitted on May 10, 2024. The Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph is on page 9:

The Rosenwald-Felts School is nominated for significance at the local level under Criterion A in the areas of Education and Ethnic Heritage: Black. According to a statewide survey of Rosenwald
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 2, 2026

2. The Rosenwald-Felts School Building, today the Rosenwald Felts Community Center
schools conducted by Preservation Virginia, the Rosenwald-Felts School is the only Rosenwald-funded school constructed in Galax, with only one other school, now demolished, built in surrounding Carroll and Grayson counties. The period of significance extends from 1926 to 1969, spanning the period from the school’s construction until its closure. The Rosenwald-Felts School was constructed in 1926 using a "two-teacher" standard plan developed by architect Samuel L. Smith and published in the Rosenwald Fund’s Community School Plans. Built in East Galax, a mostly segregated community at the time, the school was born of community activism and completed using local dollars, funds from the Rosenwald Fund, and land donated by Thomas Lafayette Felts, the White co-owner of the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. The Rosenwald-Felts School educated African American children in Galax through the ninth grade and was at times referred to as the Rosenwald-Felts Junior High School. Additionally, the school became a social hub of the African American community in Galax and the surrounding area, even hosting a meeting of formerly enslaved persons in 1937.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 2, 2026

3. Additional plaque on the building
Rosenwald-Felts School
Historic Building
Built
1926
As the school continued to grow and prosper, a major addition to the building was completed in 1956, more than doubling its size from the original Rosenwald configuration. Among the school's alumni is Willie T. Greene, Sr., the first African American to serve on Galax City Council and as Mayor of Galax. Alumnus Helen Kyle was the first African American woman to serve on Galax City Council and the first African American appointed to the Galax School Board. As enrollment dwindled following the integration of Galax city schools in 1960, the Rosenwald-Felts Community Center was formed in 1967, reflecting the school’s continued importance to the local African American community. The Rosenwald-Felts School closed at the end of the 1968-1969 academic year; today the building continues to serve as a community center and houses the local Head Start educational program.

(Submitted on July 5, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 5, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 5, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.