King William in King William County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Sharon Indian School
Upper Mattaponi Tribe
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The Sharon Indian School has played an integral role in shaping the identity of the Upper Mattaponi Tribe for over a century. The original structure was built in 1919 as a one room schoolhouse by the hands of our ancestors. Due to race-based segregation, the Sharon Indian School was the center of education for our children for over fifty years. Despite the school playing a pivotal part in our youth's education, many opportunities for funding were denied to us due to the horrifying effects of Virginia's Racial Integrity Act of 1924 and other Jim Crow-era policies. We were denied the opportunity to establish a reservation, which directly impacted our ability to participate in the benefits of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. This directly impacted funding to the Sharon Indian School and prohibited our children from achieving an education beyond the 8th grade in the county. Children and families who wanted to continue their education had to leave the county and often left the state entirely. Many families made the difficult decision to head north to Pennsylvania, rarely returning to our homelands. Today, Pennsylvania
this page online
In 1925, our Tribe ceded both the Sharon Indian School and the land to King William County, and in 1952, the county replaced the original school with the current brick structure that stands today. The project was completed by architects Edward Sinnott and C.W. Huff Jr., who primarily focused on educational and institutional designs. The blueprints, like the ones that are shown in Figure 1, can be found in a collection maintained by the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, along with various other items documenting the construction. The construction of the new building was meant to bring the Sharon Indian School up to the standards of the "Minimum Requirements and Standards for School Buildings" enforced by the Board of Education. Preserved letters and notes from the architect's office reveal that the county was reluctant to provide anything beyond the most basic requirements, even hesitating to include essential amenities such as bathrooms within the school. It was only after George Blume, Joseph Adams, and Melvin Adams brought their
From 1952 to 1965, the Sharon Indian School received more funding and established curriculum up to the 11th grade. However, it was only after integration that our children were able to graduate high school in King William County. The school was closed by the local government in 1965 as a result of the decision of Brown vs. the Board of Education. In 1985 King William County began to transfer the school back into our Tribe's possession, but due to backlash, our Tribe received ownership of the school two years later. As of 2007 the Sharon Indian School can be found on the National Register of Historic Places and has a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation dedicated to preserving its history and legacy. The Sharon Indian School is still a place for the Upper Mattaponi Tribe to gather, learn, and collaborate for our collective goal of Tribal Sovereignty. Cultural practices are still learned here and Tribal citizens come together here to learn the important practices of pottery, beading, regalia making, dancing, and drumming.
Erected by Upper Mattiponi Tribe with funding by the Sharon Indian School Foundation created by the Program Management Office.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Civil Rights • Education • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.
Location. 37° 44.076′ N, 77° 6.838′ W. Marker is in King William, Virginia, in King William County. It is on King William Road (Virginia Route 30) east of Indian Church Road, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13383 King William Rd, King William VA 23086, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Middle Peninsula. 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 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Sharon Indian School (within shouting distance of this marker); Rumford Academy (approx. 1.3 miles away); Robert Mush (approx. 2½ miles away); Pamunkey Indians In The Civil War (approx. 2½ miles away); Headquarters of Opechancanough (approx. 2½ miles away); Montville (approx. 2.6 miles away); Cavalry Raids (approx. 3.4 miles away); "Prestley Barn" (approx. 4.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in King William.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Sharon Indian School (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . . National Register of Historic Places Registration Form.
This form was prepared by Julie H. Ernstein, Ph.D.; Buck H. Woodard; Danielle Moretti-Langholtz, Ph.D., and Angela L. Daniel with the American Indian Resource Center at the Department of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary. The summary statement of significance is on page 9:
The 1919 site and 1952 building comprising the Sharon Indian School in King William Co., Virginia, are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and D. Both the 1919 and 1952 iterations of the Sharon Indian School are significant under Criterion A because of their association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history such as Education, Ethnic Heritage (Native American), Politics/Government, and Social History. In addition, the 1919 school is significant under Criterion D because of its archaeological ability to yield information important in history or prehistory—in this case, the earliest site-specific components of aboriginal historical archaeology associated with the Sharon Indian School. The fact that this structure continued in use for several years into the tenure of its 1952 successor (i.e., until ca. 1964) means that it did not experience major disturbance as its successor was located adjacent to, but not directly upon, its remains. This, in conjunction with an examination of the current conditions by the lead author on this document, a professional archaeologist, suggests sufficient archaeological integrity to include the 1919 school as an essential—albeit no longer architecturally extant—component of this nomination. On the basis of minimal post-depositional disturbance other than dismantling of the building without subsequent constructiontion on the lot—in addition to visual assessment of current conditions and historic photographs—the footprint of the former school can be readily located and marks the physical location of the earliest known location of a tribal school built, used, and administered by the Adamstown band and/or Upper Mattaponi tribe. Thus, in addition to school-related artifacts and materials, subsurface deposits may speak to the broader cultural and historical traditions of members of a distinct Virginia Indian group, formerly the Adamstown band and now formally known as the state-recognized Upper Mattaponi tribe.
Collectively, the site and extant building bracket the social and historical events associated with Upper Mattaponi tribal history; the architectural evolution of early 20th-century vernacular, one-room schoolhouses into architect-designed buildings; the sociopolitical evolution of race-based segregated education and public accommodations (as administered under Virginia's Racial Integrity Act, a.k.a. the Flecker Laws) to racially desegregated schools and public facilities; to intertribal cooperation with the state's two reservation tribes (i.e., the Mattaponi and Pamunkey) in building and staffing the school during its early years; and, ultimately, in the desegregation of the nation's public schools and public accommodations as a result of the United States Supreme Court's May 17, 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and the early years of racial integration in the public schools. As such, the Sharon Indian School in King William County, Virginia, contributes to a story that while Virginia-based is likewise national in terms of its significance.(Submitted on August 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
