Bedford in Bedford County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Susie G. Gibson High School

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Susie G. Gibson High School Marker

Inscription. Susie G. Gibson (1878-1949), teacher and community activist, was Bedford County's supervisor of African American education for 22 years. Her work was sponsored by the Jeanes Fund, established in 1907 to enhance opportunities for Black students in the rural South. Susie G. Gibson High School opened just northeast of here in 1954 to serve African Americans in Bedford. Town and County. Designed by architect Stanhope Johnson, the school reflected an effort to equalize educational facilities rather than desegregate them. Gibsons name was dropped in 1970, when the U.S. government required county schools to desegregate fully. In 2020, the building became the Susie G. Gibson Science & Technology Center.

Erected 2021 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number KM-8.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1954.

Location. 37° 19.496′ N, 79° 31.856′ W. Marker is in Bedford, Virginia, in Bedford County. It is at the intersection of Burks Hill Road (Virginia Route 122) and Tiger Trail, on the left when traveling north

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on Burks Hill Road. The marker is located in front of the Bedford Area Welcome Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 814 Burks Hill Road, Bedford VA 24523, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Virginia.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in 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 walking distance of this marker: Clement Richard Attlee (approx. 0.4 miles away); Combat Wounded Veterans (approx. 0.4 miles away); Le Monument aux Morts (approx. 0.4 miles away); Harry S. Truman (approx. 0.4 miles away); Edward R. Stettinius Jr. Parade (approx. 0.4 miles away); Valor, Fidelity, Sacrifice (approx. 0.4 miles away); Netherlands (approx. 0.4 miles away); Norway (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Susie G. Gibson High School Marker

of all markers in Bedford.

Also see . . . History alumna restores name of local school and creates highway marker in honor of African American. (Submitted on March 25, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 26, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 25, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 346 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 25, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.