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Spotsy schools to be on trail
November 1, 2010 12:35 am
By PAMELA GOULD
Two Spotsylvania County school sites will be part of an African-American Heritage Driving Trail to be unveiled later this year.
The School Board approved a request from the county's Department of Economic Development and Tourism to place signs on school property at two locations.
Those signs will be installed at Wilderness Elementary School and at the John J. Wright Educational and Cultural Center.
The Wilderness Elementary sign will tell the story of the 23rd Regiment of the United States Colored Troops' attack on Confederate Gen. Thomas Rosser's cavalry brigade.
That site will also honor Benjamin Brown, a Buffalo Soldier who is the only Spotsylvania native known to have received the Medal of Honor, according to Jennifer Scott, the county's economic development specialist.
The sign at the Wright center will tell the story of the schooling of the county's African-American children at that location.
Those two signs will be among 11 at sites across Spotsylvania that will educate visitors about 23 events, people or places in the county's African-American history.
The purpose of the trail is to "educate the public, inspire local pride and promote appreciation for the county's African-American contributions to our history," Scott wrote in a letter to the school division.
The county received a Preserve America grant for $23,000 from the National Park Service to help fund the project, which will cost $47,806; the county is paying the balance, Scott said.
More than $21 million has been awarded since 2006 to 280 projects in 49 states through the Preserve America grant program.
Spotsylvania received its grant in October 2006. It was originally scheduled to complete its project by the end of this year, but last week asked for a six-month extension, Scott said.
If the extension is granted, a kickoff of the tour will take place in May or June. The county is creating a brochure for drivers detailing the tour stops. It will also erect signs that tell the history, Scott said.
The sites, events and people highlighted on the tour were selected after a study by Rivanna Archeological Services of Charlottesville and input from a local group of African-Americans and the chief historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Scott said.
Pamela Gould: 540/735-1972
Email: pgould@freelancestar.com
Online at: http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2...1012010/584160
November 1, 2010 12:35 am
By PAMELA GOULD
Two Spotsylvania County school sites will be part of an African-American Heritage Driving Trail to be unveiled later this year.
The School Board approved a request from the county's Department of Economic Development and Tourism to place signs on school property at two locations.
Those signs will be installed at Wilderness Elementary School and at the John J. Wright Educational and Cultural Center.
The Wilderness Elementary sign will tell the story of the 23rd Regiment of the United States Colored Troops' attack on Confederate Gen. Thomas Rosser's cavalry brigade.
That site will also honor Benjamin Brown, a Buffalo Soldier who is the only Spotsylvania native known to have received the Medal of Honor, according to Jennifer Scott, the county's economic development specialist.
The sign at the Wright center will tell the story of the schooling of the county's African-American children at that location.
Those two signs will be among 11 at sites across Spotsylvania that will educate visitors about 23 events, people or places in the county's African-American history.
The purpose of the trail is to "educate the public, inspire local pride and promote appreciation for the county's African-American contributions to our history," Scott wrote in a letter to the school division.
The county received a Preserve America grant for $23,000 from the National Park Service to help fund the project, which will cost $47,806; the county is paying the balance, Scott said.
More than $21 million has been awarded since 2006 to 280 projects in 49 states through the Preserve America grant program.
Spotsylvania received its grant in October 2006. It was originally scheduled to complete its project by the end of this year, but last week asked for a six-month extension, Scott said.
If the extension is granted, a kickoff of the tour will take place in May or June. The county is creating a brochure for drivers detailing the tour stops. It will also erect signs that tell the history, Scott said.
The sites, events and people highlighted on the tour were selected after a study by Rivanna Archeological Services of Charlottesville and input from a local group of African-Americans and the chief historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Scott said.
Pamela Gould: 540/735-1972
Email: pgould@freelancestar.com
Online at: http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2...1012010/584160