Harrisonburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lucy Frances Simms
Lucy Frances Simms, a prominent and devoted African American educator, was born approximately one mile from this location in 1855. She, her mother, and her grandmother were slaves at "Hill Top," the Robert Gray farm.
Simms and Booker T. Washington were fellow students at Hampton Institute. Following her graduation in 1877, Simms began teaching school at Zenda, northeast of Harrisonburg. The following year she returned to the city and taught school in the basement of a church. She moved to Effinger Street SChool when it opened in 1882 and taught there until her death in 1934. During her 57-year career she taught 1,800 students and only missed one half-day to illness.
Simms is buried near her birthplace in Newtown Cemetery. The Simms School building, an African American school during segregation, was named in her honor. Both Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County Schools recognize an outstanding teacher with the Lucy F. Simms Educator of the Year Awards.
[Sidebar:]
The Elizabeth Street Parking Deck mural project was a collaborative initiative between Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, the Arts Council of the Valley, and the City of Harrisonburg. The winning artist team was selected through a mural contest, with input from public online voting.
Andre Shank, a Harrisonburg
this page online
Erected by Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance; the Arts Council of the Valley; and the City of Harrisonburg.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.
Location. 38° 27.024′ N, 78° 52.029′ W. Marker is in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It is at the intersection of North Federal Street and East Elizabeth Street, on the right when traveling north on North Federal Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 93 E Elizabeth St, Harrisonburg VA 22802, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. 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: Resilience Amid Resistance (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); 9-11 Memorial (about 400 feet away); Urban Water Movement (about 500 feet away); Rockingham County Vietnam Memorial (about 600 feet away); Harrisonburg (about 600 feet away); Court Square & Springhouse
Another marker is no longer nearby. Rockingham County Vietnam Memorial (was about 600 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Photographed by J.J. Prats, May 12, 2021
3. Lucy Simms, a Harrisonburg Educator
The Elizabeth Street Parking Deck mural project was a collaborative initiative between Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, the Arts Council of the Valley, and the City of Harrisonburg.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 522 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 18, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on May 12, 2021, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
