Powhatan School Board rejects transfer of Pocahontas Landmark Center, after weeks of public outcry

Powhatan County School Board members voted 3-2 on Aug. 12 to reject Resolution R2025-49 and its accompanying memorandum of understanding, which would have transferred title of the Pocahontas Landmark Center (PLC) to Powhatan County and cleared the way for planned demolition of some wings of the complex.

The board’s dissenting and supporting members framed the vote around competing priorities: some said transferring the property to the county would free the school division from maintenance costs and allow the county to repurpose the site; others said the community had not been adequately consulted and the PLC contains historically significant buildings tied to the county’s African American education history.

The vote followed weeks of public comment and petitions. More than 700 people had signed an online petition urging preservation and reuse of the PLC rather than demolition, speakers and petition organizers said during the meeting. Members of the Powhatan African American Cultural Arts Museum and the Powhatan NAACP asked board members to include explicit protections for the museum and the historic sections of the complex in any agreement.

Gail Hairston, president of the Powhatan NAACP, told the board she and the museum’s board had reviewed the MOU and found no language securing the museum’s continuing role or a guaranteed location in the PLC. “If you are changing the rules in the middle of the game, then we have a problem,” she said, and asked that the museum be added to any MOU.

Several other speakers asked the board to delay demolition and allow the county to explore alternatives — including reuse as a community or cultural center — or to require stronger protections for historically significant portions of the campus. Opponents of demolition said the buildings are repairable and the county should pursue a cost-benefit study and community planning before removing any parts of the school.

Board members who opposed the resolution said safety and cost were central concerns. Supporters of transferring title noted that maintaining and renovating surplus school buildings with education funds could violate state rules and that returning surplus property to the county is a common practice. Some board members said earlier discussions and budget deadlines complicated the timeline for deciding the complex’s future.

An earlier motion to pause demolition and give the Board of Supervisors 45–60 days to study salvage and repurposing options failed on a 3-2 vote; a later motion to reject Resolution R2025-49 and the accompanying MOU passed 3-2. The board did not adopt any alternate plan at the meeting and left open the possibility of further discussion.

The public record shows the dispute reached beyond local residents: speakers said alumni, former residents and Powhatan descendants now living elsewhere had joined the petition. Board members and county officials repeatedly urged collaboration between the school board and the Board of Supervisors to find a path forward that balances historic preservation, public safety and fiscal responsibility.

The PLC remains under the care of Powhatan County Public Schools pending any further agreement. Board members asked the county and staff to provide updated cost estimates and clarification of responsibilities if title is transferred, and several said they would press for clear language protecting the museum and historic portions of the building before any future vote.

What’s next: the board did not set a formal follow-up deadline at the meeting. Officials said they will continue discussions with the Board of Supervisors and with community stakeholders about preservation options and potential uses for the property.