Farmville, Virginia is a town you should know for historical reasons
Farmville, Virginia, in Prince Edward County, is a town that few people have heard of, though it has had an impact on American history far above what some states have. Now, it has some advantages, as it is in Virginia and has two colleges located there that have had some illustrious careers. The biggest impact is actually on civil rights, though this is little known to even those who should care.
Let us start with the founding of Farmville, which was formed in 1798. Another crucial part of the story is that Israel Hill, a large free black community, was formed in 1810 so close that it is now part of the town. Richard Randolph, a nephew of Thomas Jefferson, provided the land for both. Israel Hill did not come till after his death, though, nor did the freeing of the slaves who would populate the community. This was set up by Patrick Henry and John Jay. Randolph was considered far more progressive than most while he was alive.
Now, the two locations grew and intermingled for decades, so much so that even when free blacks were banned from firearms, the whites lent them weapons to hunt. Patrick Henry settled in the area, with George Washington stopping there while on tour to discuss Henry becoming part of his Cabinet. There is a current trend by some historians to claim that Washington disliked him, but this is false. Henry would die soon after this, having had a career that had him become known for The Parson Cause, then his “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech, and ending as the Revolutionary War governor of Virginia who fought to get Washington support.
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When the American Civil War came, the end came literally at Farmville, as Appomattox is close by. The Union Army was headquartered at Farmville, with General Grant staying close to what is now Longwood University. It has been said that the then all girl’s school was outside as the Confederates marched by heading to Appomattox to see family who was in Lee’s Army. There were many smaller battles all over the area at that time, but the Surrender had the biggest impact on the nation.
Over the years, the area grew, with a few notable people coming to the area. The next major events came with the changing of the community from people who worked together, even with ethnic differences to being divided on racial lines. During this era, Vernon Johns was born in the area. He would go on to get his degree at Oberlin College and become a Reverend. Few will remember his name today, but he was the pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church just before Martin Luther King Jr., and King has said he was an inspiration. Johns was a major figure in the early civil rights era, with him being known for trying to get everyone out of their comfort zone.
The big event that happened in Farmville since the Civil War was led by Reverend Johns’ niece Barbara. She was sent to the all-white high school to pick up books and saw how much better they had it than her and those blacks who attended R. R. Moton High School. Moton did not have a cafeteria, gym, or many other needed things that all schools need. This led Barbara Johns to lead a walkout and went further when it all became the lawsuit Davis v. School Board of Prince Edward County. This lawsuit would become one of four lawsuits that people know as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.
This would lead to what became known as the “Massive Resistance”, which had private academies started all over the state for white children and public schools closed. The schools in Prince Edward were closed the longest, from 1959 to 1964. Robert Kennedy, who was Attorney General at the time, visited the area weeks before the Supreme Court ruled the schools must reopen. He said in a speech “the only places on earth not to provide free public education are Communist China, North Vietnam, Sarawak, Singapore, British Honduras — and Prince Edward County, Virginia.”
There is quite a bit more history to the area, but people should explore the area to learn about an area that had an impact in many ways. People tend to forget the past, but this area has been an area that helped shape how people are in this nation. It now is a place that embraces history and enjoys the crowd that comes with having 2 universities in the area.
