Historical Significance Louisa County's largest "Negro elementary school," Z. C. Morton Elementary School, was built in 1960 to replace several one- and two-room schoolhouses throughout the county, including Mt. Garland, Ferncliff, St. Mark's and…

Historical Significance In 1872, the Banister Baptist Association elected a board of eleven men including ministers, professional workers, and businessmen to build a private African-American training school in Halifax County. These men purchased…

Historical Significance The Lucy Simms School, constructed in 1938-39, was named after a beloved African American teacher, honoring her role in educating African American children. Previously the Effinger Street School had fulfilled this function…

Historical Significance The chronology of the Jefferson School building represents the complex post-Civil War history of black education in Charlottesville. In 1865, the Freedman’s Bureau founded Jefferson School in the Delevan Hotel, a former…

Historical Significance The Gillfield Baptist Church is the second oldest African-American church in Petersburg and one of the oldest in the country. Its record book is one of the oldest, preserved handwritten record books in an American black…

Historical Significance Frying Pan Meetinghouse is one of the oldest racially-integrated Baptist churches in Virginia. In 1775, a Baptist congregation was organized at Bull Run under the leadership of Elder Richard Major as its pastor. The…

Historical Significance Early education for African Americans in Harrisonburg in the late 19th century was supported by the Freedman's Bureau, United States Christian Commission, and African American teachers from the North. The first public…

Historical Significance The historic community of Edenmont was annexed to Petersburg in 1816. It is bounded on the west by the Petersburg Railroad (now CSX), which was built in the 1930's. Edenmont remained largely undeveloped until after the Civil…

Historical Significance In 1924, the black community petitioned the Winchester School Board for a new school to replace the overcrowded Old Stone Church building. Construction of Douglas School was begun that year, with funds from the Handley Trust,…