Near Madison Heights in Amherst County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Central Virginia Training Center
Erected 2002 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number I-5.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1911.
Location. 37° 24.929′ N, 79° 7.225′ W. Marker is near Madison Heights, Virginia , in Amherst County. Marker is on Colony Road (Virginia Route 210) near Wright Shop Road (County Route 622), on the right when traveling south. It is at the entrance to the Training Center. From present-day Route 29, take the Route 672 Riverview Road exit west, but then stay on the unnamed divided highway until you see the left turn for Colony Road towards the Training Center. From present-day Business Route 29 take the Colony Road Exit east, then turn right to stay on Colony Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Madison Heights VA 24572, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Lynchburg Defenses (approx. 0.7 miles away); Percival's Island Overlook (approx. 0.9 miles away); Lynchburg History (approx. 0.9 miles away); Luke Jordan, Blues Pioneer (approx. 0.9 miles away); Amherst County / Campbell County (approx. 0.9 miles away); Williams Viaduct (approx. one mile away); Lucile Barrow Turner (approx. one mile away); a different marker also named Lynchburg History (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Madison Heights.
More about this marker. This marker replaced a previous marker with the same number erected a mile away in the early 1930s on the original alignment of Route 29 (today, State Route 163) at its intersection with Colony Road. The original marker was titled “State Colony” and read “One mile southeast is the state colony for epileptics and feeble-minded, chartered by the General Assembly, February 20, 1906, opened to patients in May, 1911. In its grounds are earthworks erected in June, 1864, to defend Lynchburg against Sheridan’s advance from the east. Sheridan, defeated by Hampton at Trevilians, did not reach here.”
Also see . . . Official Website – History. A frank and informative page, with period photographs of some of the buildings on the campus. Includes discussion of the Eugenics movement. Also see the cemetery page on the link to the right. “In 1940, the type of individual served was omitted from the facility name, and it became known as simply the Lynchburg State Colony. During that year, the facility had 2019 residents under treatment, and, for the first time, allowed social visitation between male and female patients. According to the Superintendent, ‘We have continued to allow most of our male patients to call upon their female patient friends for a hour or so each Sunday afternoon. This radical experiment has proven to be a most successful one. Just how much this has been responsible for the diminution in the number of elopements from the Colony, I cannot say…’ (31st annual report, 1940).” (Submitted on August 22, 2011.)
Additional keywords. Civil war defences of Lynchburg.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2011, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,015 times since then and 142 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 22, 2011, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photos of the campus • Photos of the Civil War earthworks • Can you help?