Petersburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Undine Smith Moore

(1904-1989)

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 12, 2020

1. Undine Smith Moore Marker

Inscription. Undine Smith Moore, educator and composer, was born in Jarratt and raised in Petersburg. Best known for her choral compositions, she was also a pianist and arranger. Her work often drew on African American sources such as spirituals. Moore's oratorio Scenes from the Life of a Martyr, a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She attended Fisk University and earned a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University. She taught music at what is now Virginia State University from 1927 to 1972 and co-founded its Black Man in American Music program. Moore received the National Association of Negro Musicians' Distinguished Achievement Award in 1975.

Erected 2010 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number QA 28.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Women. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list.

Location. 37° 13.318′ N, 77° 24.395′ W. Marker is in Petersburg, Virginia. It is at the intersection of Halifax Street and Harding Street, on the right when traveling south on Halifax

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Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 Halifax Street, Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central 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: Bishop Payne Divinity School (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Wyatt Tee Walker (about 600 feet away); Lincoln In Petersburg (approx. 0.2 miles away); North Carolina Confederate Hospital (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Baptist Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named First Baptist Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Virginia Voters League (approx. 0.2 miles away); Peabody High School (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Petersburg.

Halifax Street (facing south) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 12, 2020

2. Halifax Street (facing south)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 12, 2020, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 629 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 12, 2020, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.