Salem, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Roanoke College Administration Building
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 22, 2022
1. Roanoke College Administration Building Marker
1854 (east wing), 1903 (third floor)
Honoring the lives of the enslaved
skilled laborers whose contributions
to Roanoke College must be
acknowledged and always remembered.
Roanoke College – an institution established to teach values of ethical living and intellectual freedom – was founded in the midst of the widespread practice of slavery. Many members of the Board of Trustees, college administrators, and faculty were slaveholders. The college's first students studied while enslaved people built our campus.
Early campus structures, including the Administration Building, rose from the effort, artisanal knowledge, and technical skills of the enslaved builders, brick makers, masons, and laborers who worked on this site. As an institution that cherishes the ideals of freedom that gave rise to the liberal arts, we pay tribute to those who are most forgotten in the formation of our institution. Their presence in Roanoke College's history should constantly challenge the institution to think anew about its foundational values.
Erected 2021 by Roanoke College.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
this page online
Location. 37° 17.743′ N, 80° 3.326′ W. Marker is in Salem, Virginia. Marker can be reached from High Street/Maxey Way north of East Clay Street, on the left when traveling north. The administration building is on the college's quad. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Salem VA 24153, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The John R. Turbyfill '53 Quadrangle (within shouting distance of this marker); Kim Kyusik (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Roanoke County Confederate Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); William Howard Thompson (approx. 0.2 miles away); East Hill Cemetery North (approx. ¼ mile away); Sgt. James Walton (approx. 0.4 miles away); Andrew Lewis’ Grave (approx. 0.4 miles away); World War 1917 - 1919 Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Salem.
Also see . . . Genealogy of Slavery. This research project, launched in early 2020, focuses on the specific history of slavery at Roanoke College and the surrounding region. Among early findings are that half of the college's early trustees (between the college's founding in 1842 to 1865) were slaveholders. (Roanoke College Center for Studying Structures
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 22, 2022
2. Roanoke College Administration Building Marker
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 22, 2022
3. Roanoke College Administration Building Marker
The plaques are at the top of the stairs and at the base of the center columns.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 89 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 3, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
