Lottsburg in Northumberland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Holley Graded School
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 30, 2009
1. Holley Graded School Marker
In 1868, Caroline Putnam (1826–1917) established a school for the children of former slaves here. In 1869, her lifelong friend, Sallie Holley (1818–1893) of N.Y., abolitionist and suffragette, purchased this two-acre site. Holley was an agent of the American Anti-Slavery Society from 1851 to 1870. In 1917 this site was deeded to a board of eleven local black trustees. The third school built here was begun in 1914 and completed in 1933 with funds raised solely within the black community. The four room structure was the largest black elementary school in Northumberland County. Since 1917 Holley Graded School has remained under the trustees’ control.Erected 1996 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number O-48.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Women. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1868.
Location. 37° 57.78′ N, 76° 31.17′ W. Marker is in
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Cherry Point and Cowart’s Wharf (approx. 0.7 miles away); Coan Baptist Church (approx. 2.1 miles away); British Raids on the Coan River (approx. 2.1 miles away); Chambers Stamp Factory (approx. 2˝ miles away); The Rev. Paymus Nutt (approx. 3 miles away); Greater love hath no man than this (approx. 3.1 miles away); John Heath (approx. 3.6 miles away); St. Stephen’s Parish (approx. 3.9 miles away).
Also see . . . National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. “It remains largely unaltered today, featuring unusually fine detailing, including classrooms with walls and ceilings sheathed in ornamental sheetmetal. Handsome and commodious, Holley School is a testament to the perseverance, independence, and self-sufficiency of Lottsburg’s blacks during a period of racial segregation and unequal opportunity, a time when schools available to blacks were patently inferior to those available to whites. Erected to replace a smaller Reconstruction–era schoolhouse, Holley School continues to be owned
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 30, 2009
2. The Holley Graded School
Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2009, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,172 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 17, 2009, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
