Booker T. Washington National Monument - Burnt Chimney, Va - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Booker Taliaferro Washington was born on April 5, 1856. He was born into slavery on the Burroughs Plantation in Franklin County, Virginia. After emancipation he worked in West Virginia before seeking his education in Hampton, Virginia. He worked his way through Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute which is today known as Hampton University. After graduation he became a teacher at the university and in 1881 was named the first leader of Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Today the Burroughs Plantation appears much as it did when Booker T. Washington was born here. During the time that Washington lived here the Burroughs raised most of their own food in gardens and by raising livestock. The main “cash crop” was tobacco. Washington’s mother Jane served as a cook. The Washington Family lived in the small one room kitchen until after the Civil War. When the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863, a young Booker recalled listening to a Union Soldier read the document on the porch of the Burroughs House. After the War Jane took her family to West Virginia, where they were reunited with Booker father who was working in the mines. The Burroughs attempted to maintain their farm but was unsuccessful and ended up sell the property to John Robertson in 1893. In 1908, Booker T. Washington, returned to his birthplace and visited with some of the Burroughs descendants who were still living in the area.

Today the Booker T. Washington National Monument is open to the public and features a small visitor’s center and a self-guided walking tour of the property. Admission is Free.

Street address: 12735 Booker T. Washington Highway Brunt Chimney, Va. United States 24184 County / Borough / Parish: Franklin County Year listed: 1966 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person Periods of significance: 1850 - 1874 Historic function: Agriculture, Subsistence, Domestic Current function: Agriculture, Subsistence, Recreation And Culture Privately owned?: no Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   12/03/2023 Don.Morfe visited it 09/18/2021 littleblkdog visited it 12/22/2018 YoSam. visited it 06/21/2016 Dory The Explorer visited it 12/27/2014 SpeedCity visited it 11/18/2011 NCDaywalker visited it

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