Harrisonburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lucy F. Simms
(ca. 1856 - 1934)
Lucy F. Simms was born enslaved and grew up in present-day Harrisonburg. She earned a teaching certificate from Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (later Hampton University) in 1877. Like fellow Hampton graduate Booker T. Washington, Simms dedicated her life to education. After teaching for a year in rural Rockingham County, she accepted a position in Harrisonburg. During her 36-year career, she taught an estimated 1,800 students spanning several generations. In 1939, the City of Harrisonburg opened the Lucy F. Simms School near her childhood home. Simms was selected in 2017 to be one of ten Virginians represented on the Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument in Richmond.
Erected 2021 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number A-87.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Women. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1877.
Location. 38° 27.276′ N, 78° 51.523′ W.
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Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. 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: Newtown Cemetery (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Edgar Amos Love (about 700 feet away); Woodbine Cemetery (approx. half a mile away); Confederate Monument (approx. half a mile away); Anthony Hockman House (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named The Woodbine Cemetery (approx.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 2, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 2, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
