Tag: isle of wight

Rediscovering History in Western Pennsylvania

I had already visited Fallingwater, the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright house nestled in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania, twice before. Tucked away in the lush hills of Fayette County, it had always been a peaceful escape, with modern architecture harmonizing with nature. Each visit felt like a retreat into beauty and design. But my most recent trip was different. This time, I wasn’t just … Continue reading Rediscovering History in Western Pennsylvania

Unknown's avatarkenya2 Comments

Isle of Wight County Historical Society Juneteenth Program

The Isaac Holleman descendants research team presented their research for the Isle of Wight County Historical Society‘s Juneteenth program. My fourth great-grandfather Isaac Holleman was born enslaved in 1818. He was granted his freedom at the age of 18 and reenslaved at the age of 30. During the Civil War, Isaac self-emancipated, fleeing to Fortress Monroe with his 3 children (by free woman Malinda Pretlow) … Continue reading Isle of Wight County Historical Society Juneteenth Program

Unknown's avatarkenyaLeave a comment

Civil War Map of Isle of Wight and Nansemond Counties

Here’s a Civil War map of Isle of Wight County and part of Nansemond County. In the image, I have labeled where Jones Grove Baptist Church is as well as where Tony and Moses Allmond’s lands were 30-40 years later. Many of the roads are the same and a lot of the parcels have the same boundaries. Civil War maps are available at the Library … Continue reading Civil War Map of Isle of Wight and Nansemond Counties

Unknown's avatarkenyaLeave a comment

Historical Black Newspapers

I wasn’t finding obituaries or any mention of my relatives prior to maybe the 1950s in the local newspapers that are available via Newspapers.com, VirginiaChronicle.com and NewsBank. Something I specifically didn’t find was an obituary for each of my Allmond great-grandparents. The only mention I found was a notice for a pressure canner clinic for Farm Security Housewives at my great-grandmother’s house in 1946. My … Continue reading Historical Black Newspapers

Unknown's avatarkenya1 Comment

The Schoolhouse Museum

The Smithfield Schoolhouse Museum was built in 1932 as an addition to the Christian Home School, circa 1924, a historic Rosenwald School. The Christian Home School was originally on two acres of land in the Chuckatuck area in the eastern part of Isle of Wight County, Virginia. In the 1920’s, Julius Rosenwald, a former Sears, Roebuck and Company president, contributed $4.3 million to build more than 5,000 … Continue reading The Schoolhouse Museum

Unknown's avatarkenyaLeave a comment