Holbrook - Ross Historic District - Virginia Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Consisting principally of Holbrook and Ross streets, this relatively compact neighborhood survives as a tangible reminder of the aspirations of African Americans of the late-19th and early-20th century. Former slaves, as well as some freedmen, and their descendants began in earnest to develop its streets in the 1880s. By the turn of the 20th century it became a mecca for Danville’s emerging black professionals and the middle class, as well as shopkeepers and tradesmen, and their families. Several historic churches, along with schools like Westmoreland and a predecessor- the Danville School (1881)-attest to the pervasive influence of religion and education in shaping this neighborhood, whose character remains residential.
Source/Credit:http://www.visitdanville.com/page.asp?menuid=3342&sub1menuid=3358&sub2menuid=4391&sub3menuid=4420

The text of this historic marker reads:

HOLBROOK - ROSS HISTORIC DISTRICT
"The Holbrook-Ross Historic District, named for two major streets, is significant as the first neighborhood in Danville for African American professionals. Lawyers, ministers, dentists and physicans, as well as, business owners, insurance agents, postal clerks, and skilled craftsmen, made it their home in the late 19th century. It grew rapidly during the 1880s following the construction of the Danville School, the city’s first public school for blacks. By the turn of the 20th century, Holbrook Street had become Danville’s foremost black residential address. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register."

Marker Number: Q-7D Marker Title: Holbrook - Ross Historic District Marker Location: Intersection of Holbrook & Ross Streets County or Independent City: City of Danville Web Site: [Web Link] Marker Program Sponsor: Department of Historic Resources - 1999

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