Welcome to Berkleytown Heritage Park

Welcome to Berkleytown Heritage Park. . Berkleytown Heritage Park celebrates the resilience, rich heritage, and strong community spirit of the historically African American Berkleytown neighborhood, which emerged through the determination of families seeking opportunity, security, and a place to call home during the era of Jim Crow segregation in Ashland and Hanover County., A Historically Significant District , Berkleytown Heritage Park lies within the Berkleytown Historic District, officially listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register (June 2022) and the National Register of Historic Places (September 2022). Official historic recognition not only safeguards Berkleytown's physical structures but also ensures that its story of struggle and triumph continues to inspire future generations., Origins: Segregation and Resilience , Berkleytown, an African American community, was developed due to Jim Crow era segregationist housing polices in Ashland. The Town's 1911 segregation ordinance prevented Black residents from living in areas where white residents were in the majority. Consequently, Black families and entrepreneurs sought to create their own American Dream just outside Ashland's limits, where such restrictions did not apply., By 1920, Berkleytown had become a predominantly Black, self-sustaining neighborhood. Over time, residents modernized their homes and increased their civic involvement as the neighborhood grew. The tireless efforts of the community culminated in Berkleytown's formal annexation into the Town of Ashland in 1977, providing Berkleytown residents with access to town water and sewage services and solidifying its place in the town's history., Berkleytown Today , The opportunities introduced by annexation and integration in the 1970s allowed many Berkleytown residents to pursue broader housing and economic options, leading to the dispersal of families and a loosening of the community's tight-knit fabric. In addition, the growth of Randolph-Macon College introduced student housing and rental properties to the area and continues to transform Berkleytown's residential makeup. Despite these changes, a core group of committed and active residents continue to nurture and preserve the community's history., Join Us in Celebrating Berkleytown , Our hope is that Berkleytown Heritage Park will stand as an enduring reminder of our past, a beacon of our progress as a community, and an embodiment of our desire for an Ashland that uplifts and gives a voice to all., The Town of Ashland would like to thank Hanover and King William Habitat for Humanity for their generous donation of land and the Hanover County Black Heritage Society, its founder Ms. Carolyn Hemphill, and the members of the Berkleytown community who contributed their time, input, and stories to this project., Join the conversation online at berkleytownheritageproject.com - an ongoing collaborative digital storytelling project with the Town of Ashland, Hanover County Black Heritage Society, and Randolph-Macon College.