The L. E. Coleman African American Museum began its life as Mountain Road School No. 1, 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.