Tinbridge Hill in Lynchburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Virginia Theological Seminary and College

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 1, 2015

1. Virginia Theological Seminary and College Marker

Inscription. Among the many prominent early graduates of this institution are three ministers, all from classes circa 1904, who are buried nearby within a few hundred feet of each other. Their pastorates, however, were in Baptist churches across the United States from Iowa to Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

The Reverend Frank B. Woodard (died 1919)

The Reverend William Thomas Hall (died 1933)

The Reverend William B. Reed (died 1925)
Professor Gregory Willis Hayes, President of Virginia Theological Seminary and College from 1890 until his death in 1906, was buried in White Rock Cemetery, Lynchburg. However, his body was re-interred in this Old City Cemetery sometime before 1918, but the location of the grave is not known.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • Education.

Location. 37° 24.941′ N, 79° 9.406′ W. Marker is in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is in Tinbridge Hill. Marker can be reached from Taylor Street, 0.1 miles north of 4th Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located within the Old City Cemetery grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 Taylor Street, Lynchburg VA 24501, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Court Street Baptist Church Tragedy (here, next to this marker); Professor Frank Trigg (here, next to this marker); Removal of Federal Dead (a few steps from this marker); The Confederate Memorial Arch (a few steps from this marker); Lucy Mina Otey and the Ladie’s Relief Hospital (within shouting distance of this marker); Women of Lynchburg's Confederate Hospitals (within shouting distance of this marker); Crippled Corps and V.M.I. Cadets Form Inner Defenses in Old City Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederate Smallpox Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lynchburg.

Also see . . .
1. Virginia Theological Seminary and College. Originally known as the Virginia Baptist Seminary, Virginia Theological Seminary and College was the first post-Civil War college in Lynchburg. Interest in an “all-Negro” theological institution emerged at the 1886 meeting of the Virginia Baptist State Convention, when Seminary founder Phillip Morris argued successfully for such an institution. Highly esteemed among African American educators, the Seminary continued to resist white dominance and to include academic courses in the liberal arts. (Submitted on September 23, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Rev. Frank B. Woodard (Find a Grave)

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 1, 2015

2. Virginia Theological Seminary and College Marker

(unrelated marker in left foreground)

. Rev. Frank B. Woodard was born and raised in Wilson County, North Carolina. He studied at Virginia Seminary and graduated in 1904. Woodard led churches in Michigan and Iowa and served as the President of the Iowa–Nebraska Convention. (Submitted on September 23, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Rev William Thomas Hall (Find a Grave). (Submitted on September 23, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
4. William Benjamin Reed (Find a Grave). (Submitted on September 23, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
5. Gregory W. Hayes (1891-1906). Before becoming president of the Seminary, he taught history and mathematics at the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute. Hayes was known as one of the foremost black leaders at the beginning of the twentieth century. His philosophy of self-sufficiency and his concern for black self-esteem guided his administration of Virginia Seminary. (Submitted on September 23, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 21, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 192 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 23, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.