The Keysville Mission Industrial Academy (1898–1957), also known as the Bluestone Harmony Academic and Industrial School, was a private Baptist boarding and day school for African American students in Keysville, Charlotte County, Virginia, U.S.. It was a significant institution within the context of African American education during the Jim Crow era, and many of the students continued on to historically Black colleges.[1]
| Keysville Mission Industrial Academy | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
595 Bluestone Road, Keysville, Charlotte County, Virginia United States | |
| Coordinates | 37°02′27″N 78°29′51″W / 37.040825°N 78.497374°W |
| Information | |
| Former names | Bluestone Harmony Academic and Industrial School, Bluestone–Harmony Academy, Bluestone African American School |
| School type | Black Private |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Baptist |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Founders | Bluestone Harmony Baptist Association |
| Closed | 1957 |
History
editThe Keysville Mission Industrial Academy was founded in 1898, by the Bluestone Harmony Baptist Association.[2] Jesse H. Wilson, of Wilson & Co. General Store, was instrumental in the early founding years of the school.[1] It existed during a time of racial segregation, and was one of twelve black schools opened in the state of Virginia by the Baptist Church, others included Spiller Academy (1891), Ruffin Academy (1894), Northern Neck Industrial Academy (1898), Halifax Industrial Institute (1901), Rappahannock Industrial Academy (1902), Pittsylvania Industrial, Normal, and Collegiate Institute (1903), Bowling Green Industrial Academy (1903), King William Academy (1903), Fredericksburg Normal and Industrial Institute (1905), Nansemond Collegiate Institute (1905), and Corey Memorial Institute (1906).[3]
The school employed five teachers and had over 200 students.[1] Principals included Rev. Marcellus Carlye Rux (1882–1948).[4] Teachers included Rev. William P. Hayes Jr. (1881–?).[5]
In 1930, the Central High School in Charlotte Court House, Virginia was the first public school for African American students in the area.[6] The Keysville Mission Industrial Academy closed in 1957, after the Supreme Court ordered desegregation of the Charlotte County school system in 1954.[2]
See also
edit
- Salem School (1923–1959) in Red Oak, Virginia, a former Rosenwald school
- Randolph-Henry High School (1938–present)
References
edit- ^ a b c Kirchen, Kristin H. (April 28, 2023). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Keysville Historic District" (PDF). United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
- ^ a b Mitchell, Henry H. (October 4, 2004). Black Church Beginnings: The Long-Hidden Realities of the First Years. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-4674-2462-2.
- ^ Fraser, James W. (1999). Between Church and State: Religion and Public Education in a Multicultural America. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 80–81. ISBN 978-0-312-23339-6 – via Google Books.
- ^ Caldwell, A. B. (1921). History of the American Negro and His Institutions: Virginia. A. B. Caldwell Publishing Company. p. 256 – via Google Books.
- ^ Richardson, Clement (1919). The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race. National Publishing Company. p. 229 – via Google Books.
- ^ Alison Blanton (July 1998). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Salem School" (PDF). Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission. and Accompanying photo
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