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

Charlotte Harris Lynched

6 March 1878

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 17, 2020

1. Charlotte Harris Lynched, 6 March 1878 Marker

Inscription. About a dozen disguised people took Charlotte Harris from the custody of jailers in eastern Rockingham County on the night of 6 March 1878 and hanged her from a tree approximately 13 miles southeast of here. This is the only documented lynching of an African American woman in Virginia, and it received nationwide attention. A grand jury that met here failed to identify any of the lynchers. Harris had been accused of inciting a young African American man to burn the barn of a white farmer. This man was later acquitted on all charges. More than 4,000 lynchings took place in the United States between 1877 and 1950; more than 100 people, primarily African American men, were lynched in Virginia.

Erected 2020 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number A-131.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Law Enforcement • Women. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 6, 1878.

Location. 38° 26.948′ N, 78° 52.135′ W. Marker is in Harrisonburg,

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Virginia. It is on Court Square (U.S. 33) just west of South Main Street (U.S. 11), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1903 Court Square, Harrisonburg VA 22801, 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: Court Square & Springhouse (here, next to this marker); In Honor of Charles Watson Wentworth (within shouting distance of this marker); To the Memory of Thomas Harrison (within shouting distance of this marker); Rockingham County Vietnam Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Harrisonburg (within shouting

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 17, 2020

2. Charlotte Harris Lynched, 6 March 1878 Marker

distance of this marker); The International Mural Project (within shouting distance of this marker); The Big Spring (within shouting distance of this marker); Urban Water Movement (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Harrisonburg.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Rockingham County Vietnam Memorial (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Additional keywords. Jim Crow, terrorism

Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,389 times since then and 79 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 18, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.