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

Pushing the Boundaries

What are those concrete posts?

— Twin Lakes State Park —

 
 
Pushing the Boundaries Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 24, 2021
1. Pushing the Boundaries Marker
Inscription.
When Prince Edward State Park for Negroes opened in 1950, these posts marked the confines of the swim area.

Laws at the time ensured the people who visited this park were no strangers to boundaries—things like parks and even water fountains were often off-limits to people of color.

The creation of this park was an important step in pushing social boundaries in recreational opportunities.
 
Erected by Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia State Parks.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African AmericansCivil RightsParks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1950.
 
Location. 37° 10.348′ N, 78° 16.284′ W. Marker is near Burkeville, Virginia, in Prince Edward County. It is on County Road 697 0.1 miles west of County Road 707, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 22 Co Rd 697, Burkeville VA 23922, 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 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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Prince Edward State Park: A Refuge of Freedom (here, next to this marker); Prince Edward State Park for Negroes (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Twin Lakes State Park (approx. half a mile
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away); a different marker also named Prince Edward State Park for Negroes (approx. 1.2 miles away); Prince Edward County / Nottoway County (approx. 2 miles away); CCC Company 1390 (approx. 3.4 miles away); Blanche Kelso Bruce (approx. 3.4 miles away); Burkeville Junction (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Burkeville.
 
Additional keywords. segregation; Jim Crow era
 
Pushing the Boundaries Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 24, 2021
2. Pushing the Boundaries Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 25, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 260 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on September 25, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
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Jun. 7, 2026