Fredericksburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
A Segregated Park Service
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park became a unit of the National Park System in 1933, at the height of the "Jim Crow" era in the South. "Jim Crow" laws required separate public facilities for Caucasians and people of color. Although the National Park Service was not subject to state and local laws, NPS policies called for parks to abide by "local customs."
In the 1930s this building was a garage, and the restroom in front of you served as the "colored" restroom for male visitors to the park. African-American women used a room entered by the door on the side of the building. White visitors used the more spacious restrooms inside the visitor center. This photograph shows the new building in 1935. Under magnification, the sign on the door is clear.
[Captions:]
Above: the restroom as it appeared in 1935. The tiling and even the coat hook still exist. The park also planned and built segregated "lunching facilities" (picnic areas) for white and African-American visitors.
Left: A magnified view of the door in front of you. The National Park Service defended its widespread compliance with Jim Crow laws by claiming that segregation provided "the most satisfactory service to white and colored visitors." During the 1940s and 1950s, the NPS slowly, quietly dropped policies of segregation.
This exhibit was developed by students in the History and American Studies Department, University of Mary Washington.
Erected by National
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1933.
Location. 38° 17.648′ N, 77° 28.041′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It is on Sunken Road 0.1 miles north of Lafayette Boulevard, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fredericksburg VA 22401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Winter Campaign Ends in Union Disaster
Other markers no longer nearby. Fredericksburg Campaign (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); The Willis Hill Buildings (was about 400 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Additional keywords. Jim Crow South, segregation
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 4, 2023
3. Signage in the men's room shares additional information about the Jim Crow era in the park.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 534 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 19, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on March 5, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
