Lovingston School to The Nelson Center

     Lovingston School was one of four schools built in Nelson County from 1925 to 1939 for a total of approximately $65,000. The State even provided blueprints for the buildings. The Lovingston School building was completed in 1931 and housed grades 1 through 11 until 1955. In 1956 it became Lovingston Elementary and was used until 1995 when Tye River Elementary School opened. It sat empty and unused until 2003 when a group of volunteers began the plan to bring it back into use.

     Their vision was to create an intergenerational Community Center and centralized location for the agencies who serve low and moderate-income citizens of Nelson County. They formed a task force and began a feasibility study on what the renovation would entail. They enlisted the help of an architect who was able to obtain federal and state historic designations. This led to a broad fundraising effort that raised more than $3 million dollars for the project. Ultimately, two organizations, Nelson County Community Development Foundation (NCCDF) and the Jefferson Area Board for the Aging (JABA) created a for-profit LLC to manage the project and The Nelson Center was born.

     This project took about 15 months and brought together a wide range of people and funding sources including State and Local governments, individuals, foundations and corporations. Registered as an Historic Property on State and National registers, the Nelson Center opened its doors as a renovated office building in 2004, serving seven tenants and providing much needed public meeting space for Nelson events. Once again, the school is a focal point for the community, a source of pride, and valuable leased office space for local businesses.