A classroom is restored as part of the Holley School’s museum. Photos courtesy of Ashley Peterson Photography.
The historic Holley Graded School museum is on U.S. Route 360 in Lottsburg.
A Virginia Historic Marker stands in front of the Holley Graded School.
It’s hard to imagine a more difficult time in Virginia than the aftermath of America’s Civil War. Yet in the midst of the often-confusing process of Reconstruction, a true good-news story began to grow in the Northern Neck. Two white women from the North, college friends who were active in abolitionist causes, came to Northumberland County to establish an elementary school in the rural community of Lottsburg, aimed at providing education for the children of African-Americans who had been emancipated at the end of the Civil War.
First to arrive in 1868 was Caroline Putnam, responding to a request from members of the Zion Baptist Church. Putnam was eager to take this teaching position, hoping to make it her life’s work. Sallie Holley followed in 1869 and bought the two acres of land where the current school building stands. Classes were soon held in a one-room schoolhouse.
Friends of the founders of Holley School shipped supplies to the school in barrels.
Though the school was initially intended for the children of newly freed slaves, in practice, everyone was welcomed, as everyone needed to learn. Poverty and lack of opportunity were universal problems, not always defined by age or race, and eventually, the school would hold children’s classes by day and adult classes in the evenings, with each group numbering 80 to 100 students. In addition to the week’s schedule, Putnam and Holley invited women from the community to meet on Saturdays. Under the pretext of sewing workshops, these meetings provided a platform for general conversations about common problems and possible solutions. The school did become the life’s work for both teachers, though Sallie Holley also traveled from time to time as a lecturer, as she had done for years.
Sallie Holley died in 1893, but the school remained in operation as a private, often integrated, school until Caroline Putnam died in 1917. In her will, Putnam left the school property to a board of trustees composed of 11 members of the black community, with the stipulation that it be used for the ongoing purpose of black education.
When the time came for a larger school, it was the local black community who raised the funds and provided the labor to grow the legacy. The four-room, cross-shaped schoolhouse was started in 1914 and finished in stages on a room-by-room basis between 1922 and 1933. The cornerstone shows the dates of 1869 and 1933, connecting the school’s beginning with its ongoing purpose.
A model of the Holley School is on display in the museum.
The Holley Graded School continued to teach hundreds of students of all ages. Former students became teachers in the school that had become a symbol of academic achievement. But when federal law mandated racial integration, Virginia adopted a “separate-but-equal” policy, and the Northumberland School District built a new school for black children. Students from Holley School were transferred to the new school, and Holley closed its doors in 1959.
A pot-bellied stove still stands in the restored classroom.
The school building was then little used for many years, and understandably, it began to deteriorate. A neighbor, Ruth Blackwell, had looked after the building and grounds as best she could, but when the county indicated it wanted to take control of the schoolhouse, she asked a local judge to appoint a new group of trustees to maintain the building. These trustees raised funds and recruited labor for the required maintenance, and in the 1980s, they began making plans to restore the school for use as a museum and community center.
By 1996, Holley Graded School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Virginia Historic Landmark. A state historical marker was also placed on the property, crediting Caroline Putnam and Sallie Holley with establishing the school for children of former slaves. As noted in the school’s application for the National Register, “Holley Graded School is a source of great pride to the black community of Lottsburg... The present building represents the dedicated work of many local people who, despite economic hardship, erected a schoolhouse that was remarkably large and well-appointed for its time.”
Artwork by “Queena” Stovall shows scenes of life from earlier times.
Today, the school building includes the museum, and it serves as the community center by being available for meetings, events, and programs that may include discussions on healthy diets, good nutrition, or environmental concerns. Above all, Holley School remains the constant reminder of the rich history created by the determination of the teachers and the community who together brought educational opportunity to rural Virginia.
The Holley Graded School’s single-story frame building sits just off U.S. Highway 360, a short distance from the Zion Baptist Church in Lottsburg. While most rural schoolhouses of the period were austere buildings with little detailing, Holley School shows many refinements, including the exterior rows of triangular and rounded wooden shingles. Large windows throughout create a welcoming impression that is repeated when visitors step inside and see the light streaming into the restored classroom. The walls and ceilings are all sheathed in the pressed metal common to commercial buildings of the era but unusual in a school building.
The front door enters into the museum room, where one wall provides a brief history and the opposite wall displays photographs and artwork. A series of paintings by “Queena” Stovall, an American folk artist sometimes called Virginia’s Grandma Moses, shows images of life in rural Virginia in an earlier time. A large wooden barrel raises curiosity, answered by the explanation of its use. Northern friends of the two teachers would occasionally fill a barrel with clothing, blankets, and other nonperishable items that the school might need or the teachers want. The barrels would be shipped to Lodge Landing in Callao and brought to the school by horse and cart. In this way, some outside help was provided to the women. The school also housed the post office for Lottsburg. The teachers handled the mail, which added a small amount to their incomes.
A restored classroom brings a touch of nostalgia to some visitors. Bookcases line one wall, and the rows of student desks in varying sizes reflect the age range of their occupants. Photos of individuals important to the school’s history are on display, including one of the neighbor, Ruth Blackwell, who cared for the property during the years the building was mainly idle. According to a former student, school always began with a pledge of allegiance to the flag, a prayer, and perhaps a Bible verse.
Caroline Putnam and Sallie Holley handled the mail for Lottsburg.
A pot-bellied stove stands in one corner of the classroom, charming to see but still raising the question of how efficient it might be on a cold winter day. A model of the school building and artwork by local artists are displayed in sections of the remaining two rooms, one of which is mostly vacant, ready to be set up as needed for meetings, workshops, or other events. Much about the school’s past and present can be learned from Garfield Parker, trustee and museum director, who attended classes there till its 1959 closing. As part of an oral history project, he summed up Holley’s significance:
Garfield Parker is trustee and museum director for the Holley School.
“Holly School was important simply because in 1869, right after Reconstruction, parents wanted their children to learn, but there was no place for them to do that. And so, when it came to fruition, it was very well supported. You had to have an education.” Now he adds, “As always, we need to study — and learn from — history.”
A brief history of the school greets visitors.
As exhibits change or grow, the museum and art gallery of Holley Graded School may continue to be works in progress, and restoration of necessity demands ongoing maintenance. The museum is always interested in artifacts that have significance to the school or the times when it was active. Local artists and crafters are invited to submit work for display. The school is listed on the Northern Neck Artisan Trail, bringing it to the attention of interested travelers. Financial support as well as volunteer time and skills are always appreciated.
Holley Graded School Museum, 2439 Northumberland Highway (Route 360), Lottsburg, Virginia. For information: holleyschool.weebly.com, Garfield Parker, 804-761-0768 or Clifton Muse, 804-356-8779.