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

Woodville Rosenwald School

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Woodville Rosenwald School Marker

Inscription. Thomas Calhoun Walker, community leader and advocate for African American education, led local efforts to secure support from the Julius Rosenwald Fund for the construction of six schools and one teacher's cottage in Gloucester County. Woodville School, built here ca. 1923, is the only one of the seven structures that remains. Rosenwald, the president of Sears. Roebuck, and Co.. inspired by the work of Booker T. Washington, helped construct more than 5,300 school buildings for Black children across the rural South. Contributions for Woodville came from the Black community ($2,500), the county ($300), and Rosenwald ($700). The two-teacher school closed by 194l.

Erected 2020 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number NW-24.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. In addition, it is included in the Rosenwald Schools series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1923.

Location. 37° 19.512′ N, 76° 30.886′ W. Marker is in Hayes, Virginia, in Gloucester County. It is on George Washington Memorial Highway (U.S. 17) half a mile north

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of Ernest Lane (Virginia Route 667), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4310 George Washington Memorial Hwy, Hayes VA 23072, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Middle Peninsula

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

in the Chesapeake Bay Region,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Woodville School (a few steps from this marker); Abingdon Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Confederate Soldiers Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Abingdon Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Page Family

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Woodville Rosenwald School Marker

(approx. 0.6 miles away); These Page Family Tombs (approx. 0.6 miles away); Warner Hall (approx. 0.6 miles away); Rosewell (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hayes.

Also see . . .
1. Preserving History: The Woodville Rosenwald School in Gloucester, VA. (Submitted on February 4, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. The Woodville Rosenwald School Foundation. (Submitted on February 4, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 4, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 159 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 4, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.