William Preston was a prominent citizen in the area and held many important offices including County Lieutenant, Sheriff, and County Surveyor. He also played a role in opening up Kentucky for settlement. He signed and may have written the Fincastle Resolutions of 1775, which was a document that was the first document that formally stated that the colonists would put up an armed resistance to British rule. Preston's son, James Patton, served in the Virginia House of Delegates and was Governor of Virginia from 1816-1819. James' son, William Ballard, was Secretary of the Navy under President Zachary Taylor. In 1959, Janie Preston, the great great granddaughter of William Preston, donated the home to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. It opened to the public in 1964.

Smithfield is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also on the Virginia Landmarks Register.

Information about slavery at Smithfield Plantation

More Info

Video

Slave Life Tour Unveiled At Smithfield Plantation

This historic colonial home located in Blacksburg, a community that was previously known as the town of Smithfield, was designed in the Colonial style and was built in 1773 for Colonel William Preston (1729-1783). This was one of the first large plantations constructed west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The home is open for tours and is managed by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. This organization is working to study and share the story of the enslaved people who lived and labored at the plantation. For more information about this and other aspects of Smithfield, be sure to explore the resources listed at the bottom of this entry.

Historic Smithfield

Admin

This tour features locations of particular relevance to African-American history. Blacksburg, Virginia has had an African-American community since its early days. Many were originally brought in under slavery. Over time, however, African-American families established a vibrant community here. At Virginia Tech, black students worked actively to overcome the challenges of segregation, accounts which can be explored at within Newman Library's Special Collections. Church life has also been an important facet of the African-American experience in Blacksburg, and these houses of worship are included in the tour.

The Virginia Tech Hokies are the official athletic teams representing Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 19 varsity sports. Clad in Chicago maroon and burnt orange, their name comes from the "Old Hokie" spirit yell created in 1896 by O.M. Stull during a contest. The original spirit yell referenced the old name of the school and was no longer suitable when Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (VAMC) became Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (VPI). Administrative offices and facilities for Virginia Tech's athletic department are located in the 39,617-square-foot Jamerson Center. Constructed in 1982 for a cost of $1.83 million dollars, the Center houses administrative and coaches’ offices, athletic department accounting and business offices, team and coaches’ meeting rooms, the Jim “Bulldog” Haren weight room, and the Gordon D. Bowman Memorial Club Room (open to Hokie Club members). It is named in honor of J. E. Jamerson and his son, alumnus William Edward "Bill" Jamerson, owners of the family business responsible for the construction of the building and strong supporters of the University's athletic program. On the fourth floor of the Jamerson Center, at the south end of the Cassell Coliseum ambulatory, is the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was established in 1982 to honor and preserve the memory of individuals who have made significant contributions to athletics at the university. As of 2016, 187 athletes, coaches, administrators and staff members who have been inducted. Their contributions are recognized with plaques engraved with the portrait and primary sport of each member. Visitors to Virginia Tech may also wish to visit the Hall of Fame Museum located on the west side of Lane Stadium. The museum, featuring all Hokie sports, spans two stories and includes galleries, display cases, and interactive screens.

The Jamerson Athletic Center houses administrative offices and facilities for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's athletic department. On the fourth floor, individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the university's prestigious sports program are recognized in the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. Organized in 1982, it showcases the 187 athletes, coaches, and administrators who have been honored with an induction into the Hall of Fame. Visitors can view plaques engraved with the portrait and the primary sport of all members displayed there.

Jamerson Athletic Center & Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame

Newman Library is one of three campus libraries on the grounds of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Established in 1872 with 500 volumes, the library's holdings now consist of over 2 million volumes physically distributed across 3 branches. The branch libraries are located at Art + Architecture, 100 Cowgill Hall; Veterinary Medicine, in the Phase III Building of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine on Duck Pond Drive; and in the Northern Virginia Resource Service Center, 7054 Haycock Road, Falls Church. Together, the Newman and branch libraries offer students and visitors access to educational resources, computers, and space to study. In addition to its other offerings, the Newman Library also houses the university's Special Collections. Highlights of the collection include primary and secondary materials documenting 19th-and 20th-century American history and culture. They represent topics such as the American Civil War, Appalachia, U.S. aerospace exploration, botany and horticulture, railroad history, speculative fiction, university history, and more; there are over 175 collections pertaining to the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA). The original Carol M. Newman Library building opened in 1955. The library underwent renovations and received a six-story addition in 1981. More recently, in 2009, the lobby was modified to accommodate a café. The facility is named for Carol Montgomery Newman, professor, dean of the Academic Department, and head of the English department (1903 to 1941). Newman is known as the "godfather of extracurricular activities,"1 having served as secretary of the Athletic Council, chair of the college social committee, and chair of the YMCA advisory board. A popular English and rhetoric teacher, Newman was also a member of the library committee and believed that books were an "invaluable element in living."2

The Carol M. Newman Library (also simply called Newman Library) was established in 1872 with 500 books. Today, it administers over 2 million volumes between its three branches. The libraries provide educational resources intended to promote Virginia Tech's objectives in learning; discovery; and engagement, as well as study spaces and access to public computers. Additionally, Newman houses the VT University Library Special Collections, which include a wealth of materials that document American culture during the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Carol M. Newman Library

The First Baptist Church was organized in the late 1800s. In 1874, the congregation purchased property in the center of an African-American community in town and built a church. This community included a nightclub called the Moonglow, several homes, and the Blacksburg Negro School, the latter of which was located across Clay Street on the site of the old Blacksburg Middle School. The First Baptist Church was later renovated in 1986. Today, the congregation remains an active part of the Blacksburg community.

First Baptist Church (Stop I)

Prior to the Civil War, African-Americans (both free and enslaved) often attended services in primarily-white churches. The law in Virginia prohibited slaves from assembling for worship unless under the supervision of a white preacher. In many of these churches, slaves and freemen were restricted to a balcony section, while white congregants sat in the pews. During the Civil War, Black religious activities were highly regulated, owing to fears that slaves would leave to serve in the Union Army. After the war, racial tensions between Blacks and whites facilitated the establishment of Black churches. St. Paul AME came about as the result of an AME minister's efforts to organize Black members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South (today Blacksburg United Methodist Church). White methodists wanted to help the new St. Paul AME and shared their building. Today's St. Paul AME was constructed in 1901 on the site of a previous AME church, no longer extant. A few years later, the building was coated in stucco. This church still houses an active congregation today.

St. Paul AME has served its primarily African-American congregation in Blacksburg since the Civil War era. The congregation of mostly former slaves built their first church building in the late 1870s or early 1880s at the site of the current building. The current chapel was constructed in 1901 and is still in use today. During this era, African Americans were building churches throughout the nation. Despite the racial tensions that necessitated the creation of separate institutions, Black churches and schools served as foundations for African American communities following the Civil War. 

St. Paul AME Church (Stop R)

St. Luke's &amp; Odd Fellows Hall, also known as Tadmore Light Lodge, No. 6184, is a historic Grand United Order of Odd Fellows meeting hall. The two-story building is clad painted weatherboard siding and features a standing seam metal gable roof. It is the only remaining structure from New Town, an African-American neighborhood in Blacksburg, Virginia. New Town was established in the late 19th century and ceased to exist by the mid-1960s and 70s. It consisted of Gilbert Street and a small lane and was home to about 20 families. Odd Fellows Hall was constructed in 1907 following the purchase of a small lot on the corner of Gilbert and Barger streets by members of the Odd Fellows. It is thought it was built from volunteer labor in a Greek Classical style. For more than 60 years, from its construction until the end of segregation, the hall served as a gathering place for the African-American community. Residents hosted social events including dances, fashion shows, bingo parties, mock weddings, ball games, and Easter egg hunts in the building. It also served as meeting space for the Order of St. Luke, the Busy Bee Society, and the Household of Ruth Lodge #5533 of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows. Following the end of segregation, the hall was used less as a social center and was rented as a workshop. Furthermore, construction and urban development in the 1970s saw the decline and disappearance of New Town as a predominantly African-American neighborhood. In 2004 and 2005, trustees appointed by the court negotiated an agreement with the Town of Blacksburg in order to preserve the hall. Also in 2005, the structure was designated on the Virginia Landmarks Registry and added to the National Register of Historic Places. The historic structure underwent restorations from 2009 to 2010. Since 2012, the Blacksburg Museum &amp; Cultural Foundation has administered the building—now a museum. The building is well-lit, houses an ample stage, and is available for rental as event space (see contact number). BM&amp;CF runs two museums in the Blacksburg area, the other being the Alexander Black House &amp; Cultural Center.

St. Luke's & Odd Fellows Hall, also known as Tadmore Light Lodge, No. 6184, is a historic Grand United Order of Odd Fellows meeting hall in Blacksburg, Virginia. The two-story framed structure served as the social center of the African-American community throughout the early- to mid-20th Century. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Virginia Historic Landmark in 2005. Today, the hall is a museum stewarded by the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation; it can also be rented as meeting and event space. 

African-American History in Blacksburg

Historic Smithfield

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information