The Impact Center

Following decades of vacancy and decline, the historic school was carefully rehabilitated and reopened to the public in January 2026. As part of this reimagining, the Town of Cape Charles donated more than six acres of land, expanding the campus from approximately two acres to over eight acres and enabling the school to function as a true community-centered campus. While the building remains recognized as a Rosenwald School and continues to be listed by Preservation Virginia among the Commonwealth’s most endangered historic places, its restoration ensured that this rare brick schoolhouse would once again serve a public purpose.

Guided by a strategic vision aligned with Northampton County’s Livable Communities initiative and the Town of Cape Charles’ community plans, CCRSRI approached rehabilitation as more than preservation alone. The reimagined campus was intentionally designed to support flexible use, partnerships, and shared community benefit—transforming a once-derelict site into a vital, active resource for the rural Eastern Shore.

Today, there is no other established gathering space like it in Northampton County. The school’s large, open, and adaptable spaces—together with its history, architecture, outdoor areas, and exhibit space—create opportunities for organizations and residents to come together, collaborate, and address critical social and economic needs in the community.