Farmville in Prince Edward County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Martha E. Forrester

(1863 - 1951)

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 22, 2021

1. Martha E. Forrester Marker

Inscription. Martha E. Forrester lived in this house. In 1920 she helped the Council of Colored Women to foster community uplift. As the organization's president for 31 years, she led its campaigns to improve educational opportunities for African American students in Prince Edward County, securing a longer school term and higher-level courses. She was instrumental in convincing the county to build its first high school for African Americans, which opened in 1939 and was named for educator Robert Russa Moton. The Martha E. Forrester Council of Women, renamed in her honor, later played a central role in establishing the Moton Museum to interpret the history of civil rights in education.

Erected 2017 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number I-26.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education • Women. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.

Location. 37° 17.795′ N, 78° 23.845′ W. Marker is in Farmville, Virginia, in Prince Edward

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County. It is at the intersection of Race Street and Franklin Street, on the right when traveling south on Race Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 501 Race St, Farmville VA 23901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont,

in Southside Virginia,

and specifically 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: Longwood College (approx. 0.2 miles away); Robert Russa Moton High School Timeline (approx. 0.3 miles away); R.R. Moton High School (approx. 0.3 miles away); Four Sororities Founded (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Farmville Female Seminary Association (approx. 0.4 miles away);

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 22, 2021

2. Martha E. Forrester Marker

Barbara Rose Johns (approx. 0.4 miles away); A New Birth of Freedom (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named First Baptist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Farmville.

Other markers no longer nearby. Longwood University (was approx. ¼ mile away but has been confirmed missing); Farmville Female Seminary Association (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); R. R. Moton High School (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); First Baptist Church (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Additional keywords. First-wave Feminism; Womanist movement

Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 25, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 592 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 25, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.