Discover Halifax County’s rich African-American history. The trail, in its infancy, hopes to develop a comprehensive trail from the colonial period through the Civil Rights Act showcasing the rich African American history of Halifax County. The first five sites of the trail are those found on the state’s Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail.
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Start your tour in Downtown South Boston at the historic Mizpah Presbyterian Church. During the second half of the 19th century many churches filled African Americans’ need for schooling. Built in 1901, the Mizpah School was constructed on the land where the church still stands.
Head Northeast from Mizpah and find Washington-Coleman Elementary School. Step inside and back in time to see a model of the one-room school house.
Head north from South Boston to the Town of Halifax. The current building is a renovated version of the original Mary M. Bethune High School.
Your next stop takes you to the County’s African American museum. The building was originally Mountain Road School No. 1 and built around 1919.
A beautiful country drive will lead you to the Meadville Community Center. The center is a significant educational and community focal point, enriching the lives of residents of Halifax County.
Diamond Hill serves as a somber reflection of the past. The hill, adorned with over 200 unmarked field stones, is the resting place of the enslaved of Berry Hill. It is believed that more than 300 enslaved people are buried here, and that it is one of the largest slave burial grounds in the state. These stones are starkly contrasted by the Bruce family cemetery just next to the mansion. A memorial was dedicated in memory of the enslaved in June 2022, and the site was later added to the African American Heritage Trail in 2023.
The cemetery can be accessed via walking trails on Berry Hill’s property (roughly a mile walk) or via the Tobacco Heritage Trail (roughly two miles).
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