College Hill in Lynchburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Samuel F. Kelso

(ca. 1825 - 1880)

Photographed By Shane Oliver, June 18, 2022

1. Samuel F. Kelso Marker

Inscription. Samuel Kelso, born into slavery, became one of Lynchburg first African American teachers after the Civil War. He taught at a freedmen's school on 12th Street and was later a trustee of the all-Black Polk Street School. Kelso was elected to represent Campbell County, including Lynchburg, at Virginias Constitutional Convention of 1867-68. There he voted with radical reformers and introduced a resolution calling for free public education open to all on an equal basis. In 1869 he was a delegate to the National Convention of the Colored Men of America, which protested the exclusion of Black Americans from civil rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. He was later a postal agent in Lynchburg.

Erected 2021 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number Q-6 60.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education • Government & Politics. A significant historical year for this entry is 1869.

Location. 37° 24.795′ N, 79° 8.624′ W. Marker is in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is in College Hill. Marker is on Court Street north of 10th Street, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located between the Lynchburg Public Schools Administration Building and the Lynchburg

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 909 Court Street, Lynchburg VA 24504, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lucy Harrison Miller Baber (1908-1996) (here, next to this marker); Lynchburg (within shouting distance of this marker); Lynchburg History (within shouting distance of this marker); Lynchburg Confederate Soldiers Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Mr. Elder’s Rose Garden (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Purple Heart Memorial (about 300 feet away); POW★MIA (about 300 feet away); Vietnam (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lynchburg.

Also see . . . State Historical Marker for Samuel F. Kelso (ca. 1825 – 1880) To Be Dedicated in Lynchburg, Va. Article by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Published February 9, 2021. (Submitted on July 11, 2022, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia.)

Photographed By Shane Oliver, June 18, 2022

2. Samuel F. Kelso Marker

The Lucy Harrison Miller Baber Marker is located next to this marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2022, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 112 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2022, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.