African-American Education in Westmoreland County

Book excerpt: Primarily known as the birthplace of three prominent and celebrated Americans, our nation's first and fifth presidents and the South's most revered general during the War between the States, Westmoreland County enjoys a fascinating and diverse history, one shaped by both the contributions of its white and black citizens. Like many Southern states, Virginia's Northern Neck did not legalize formal education for African Americans until 1870. From that date to 1958, black students studied in small "separate but equal" oneand two-room schoolhouses throughout the county and remained segregated until 1970. African-American Education in Westmoreland County is a unique study of the traditions, institutions, and people who were involved in teaching and educating the black population throughout the county. In this volume, with many never-before-published photographs, you will take a visual journey through the area's past and visit the oneand two-room schoolhouses of Templemans, Potomac, and some of the smaller areas, such as Frog Hall and Mudbridge; and meet the dedicated and creative teachers and their students who studied and learned in this picturesque region nestled between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers.