Petersburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Bishop Payne Divinity School

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, May 26, 2014

1. Bishop Payne Divinity School Marker

Inscription. The Bishop Payne Divinity School began here in 1878 at the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church Normal and Industrial School. For 71 years it prepared black men for the ministry in the church. Giles B. Cooke (1838-1937) headed the vocational school and helped develop the divinity school. In 1884 the school was named after the Rt. Rev. John Payne, the first bishop of Liberia. Prominent students included James Solomon Russell (1857-1935), who founded Saint Paul's College in Lawrenceville, and George Freeman Bragg Jr. (1853-1940), who became a priest and civil rights advocate. In 1949 the school merged with the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria.

Erected 2013 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number QA-31.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Churches & Religion • Civil Rights • Education. 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 1878.

Location. 37° 13.39′ N, 77° 24.35′ W. Marker is in Petersburg, Virginia. Marker is at the intersection of Halifax Street and Farmer Street, on the left when

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traveling south on Halifax Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 228 Halifax St, Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lincoln In Petersburg (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Undine Smith Moore (about 500 feet away); Virginia Voters League (about 500 feet away); Prince Hall Masons in Virginia (about 600 feet away); Wyatt Tee Walker (about 700 feet away); First Baptist Church (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named First Baptist Church (about 700 feet away); North Carolina Confederate Hospital (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Petersburg.

Also see . . . St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. (Submitted on May 26, 2014.)

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, May 26, 2014

2. Bishop Payne Divinity School Marker

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, May 26, 2014

3. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 904 times since then and 55 times this year. Last updated on April 30, 2022, by Daniel Eisenberg of Boca Raton, Florida. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 26, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.