Fifeville in Charlottesville, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Benjamin E. Tonsler Residence
327 Sixth Street SW
Benjamin Ellis Tonsler (1854-1917) grew up enslaved by the Burnley family of Albemarle County. As a youth, he attended the Freedmen's School. Encouraged by his teachers, he attended and graduated from Hampton Institute in 1874, where he met his lifelong friend, Booker T. Washington. He soon taught at Jefferson School, and became its principal in 1883, remaining in that position nearly thirty years. Confronting the laws of the time that made it illegal to educate African American students past eighth grade, he had his older students after school to prepare them to enter college. Benjamin Tonsler is buried at Daughters of Zion Cemetery next to his wife, Fannie Gildersleeve Tonsler.
Tonsler purchased this lot in 1876, and built the residence in 1879. The property is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1983) and the Virginia Landmarks Register (1981), and is designated an Individually Protected Property by the City of Charlottesville.
Erected 2014 by Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
this page online
Location. 38° 1.702′ N, 78° 29.419′ W. Marker is in Charlottesville, Virginia. It is in Fifeville. It is on 6th Street Southwest 0.1 miles north of Cherry Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 327 6th St SW, Charlottesville VA 22903, 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 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: First Baptist Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Dedicated to You, A Free Citizen in a Free Land (approx. Ό mile
Another marker is no longer nearby. Sacajawea (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 566 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 4, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
