Mountain Road School No. 1 was built around 1919 for
Black students in the Halifax, VA, community. Following the closing of the
school, the building was used for a variety of purposes before it was remodeled
and opened to the public as the L.E. Coleman African American Museum in 2005. Its
mission is “to research, collect, and preserve the art, history, and culture of
African Americans with emphasis on Halifax County, and to foster among people
the awareness and perspective from the past and find purpose for the future.”

The museum is named
in honor of the Rev. Lee Ernest Coleman. Born in Dolphin, VA, in 1891, he moved
to Halifax County to serve as a minister to several churches. He played a major
role in raising funds to build Halifax Community Hospital.