From 1870, the year public education was established in Virginia, through the early 20th century, rural schools were small one- or two-room buildings that lacked uniformity. Montvale High School, located along US Route 460 in Bedford County, was built in 1930 for White students in grades one through twelve, and is representative of the Commonwealth’s efforts to improve public education in rural Virginia during the Progressive Era by consolidating and standardizing schools. Designed in the Colonial Revival architectural style with Art Deco influences, the school’s consistent expansion from the 1930s to the 1960s demonstrates its increasing importance as a community educational center as well as a social hub in rural Bedford County during the 20th century. Montvale High School remains a vital center of community life in a rural area.