African American Heritage and Randolph-Macon's Roots Explored in Boydton
Randolph-Macon College in Ashland has roots a bit further south--in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, and those roots also include an interesting connection to African-American history.
This morning, a group of community leaders and hopeful preservationists are meeting in Mecklenburg's county seat in Boydton at 10 o'clock at St. Paul's Baptist Church, to initiate a process to preserve the original campus of Randolph-Macon, founded there in 1832 before a move to Ashland due to complications from the Civil War.
The Boydton campus next became home to a freedmen's school and the Boydton Academic and Bible Institute for African-Americans, largely forgotten history. The old campus has been purchased, and supporters from Randolph Macon, Southside Regional Library, the Old Brunswick Circuit Foundation. and the community, are gathering to discuss fundraising and hear from Harriet Mayfield Paige, whose family members attended Boydton Institute before it closed in the 1930's.
In addition to preserving the deteriorating property, supporters envision an oral history project focusing on Boydton Institute's African-American heritage.
Jeanne Faulconer, WCVE News, South Hill
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