Constructed in 1910, Hamilton High School, renamed Hamilton School in 1944 when it became an elementary school, is significant in the story of education in Cumberland County. Built in response to the need for a proper education for students in the rural county, it represents the shift to consolidated regional schools taking place statewide at the time. By 1914, it housed a Normal department, joining only a few other schools in the prestigious program of certified teacher training for women. Students who completed the teacher training were required to teach a minimum of two years in Virginia’s rural schools, thus helping to increase access to public education. This earned the school recognition for its contribution to civil rights causes, and it is a designated stop on the Civil Rights in Virginia Education Heritage Trail. Between 1925 and 1940, the school expanded to include an auditorium and agricultural classroom buildings, and served as a community center for residents from miles around. In 1944 it was converted to an elementary school and in 1964 it closed permanently. It remains the largest school of its kind in Cumberland County.