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 Virginia's 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. It is on Court Street north of 10th Street, on the left

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when traveling north. Marker is located between the Lynchburg Public Schools Administration Building and the Lynchburg 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.

Regionally, this marker is in Central 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: 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); Global War on Terrorism Memorial (within shouting distance

Photographed by Shane Oliver, June 18, 2022

2. Samuel F. Kelso Marker

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

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). 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.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 17, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2022, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 304 times since then and 17 times this year. Last updated on September 17, 2024, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2022, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.