Near Farmville in Cumberland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Samuel P. Bolling

(1819-1900)

June 17, 2022

1. Samuel P. Bolling Marker

Inscription. Samuel P. Bolling was born enslaved in Cumberland County and became a skilled mechanic. After the Civil War he purchased several lots in Farmville, where he established a successful brickyard by 1874. He later acquired more than 1,000 acres in Cumberland. About 1880 he aligned with the Readjuster Party, a biracial coalition that refinanced the antebellum state debt to pay for public education and other services. In 1885 he was elected to represent Buckingham and Cumberland Counties in the Virginia House of Delegates; his son, Philip S. Bolling, had won this seat in 1883. Bolling later donated land to establish a school. His daughter, Eliza Bolling, was a noted local educator.

Erected 2021 by Virginia. (Marker Number MJ-3.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Government & Politics • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1874.

Location. 37° 23.27′ N, 78° 22.321′ W. Marker is near Farmville, Virginia, in Cumberland County. It is on Cumberland Road (Virginia Route 45) north of Thompson Road (County Road 699), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Farmville VA 23901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont

and 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

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6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: James F. Lipscomb (approx. 2 miles away); Engagement at Cumberland Presbyterian Church (approx. 3 miles away); Cumberland Church (approx. 3 miles away); a different marker also named Cumberland Church (approx. 3 miles away); Needham Law School (approx. 4.6 miles away); High Bridge (approx. 4.8 miles away); March to Appomattox (approx. 5 miles away); Lest We Forget (approx. 5.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Farmville.

Another marker is no longer nearby. March to Appomattox (was approx. 5 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

More about this marker. The Historical Marker topic was selected as one of the 5 winning submissions of the 2021 Black History Month Historical Roadside Marker Competition by Cumberland Middle School. It was unveiled on April 1, 2022. (https://cardinalnews.org/2022/04/02/a-foundational-life-now-remembered-with-a-historical-marker/)

Also see . . . A ‘foundational’ life now remembered with a historical marker. The Historical Marker topic was selected as one of the 5 winning submissions of the 2021 Black History Month Historical Roadside Marker Competition by Cumberland Middle School. It was unveiled on April 1, 2022. (Submitted on December 22, 2023.)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 21, 2023. This page has been viewed 294 times since then and 29 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on December 21, 2023. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide shot of the marker in context. • Can you help?