University of Virginia Library

THE COLORED CITIZENS OF CAROLINE

When the Civil War closed Caroline's colored population was
as large as that of the white race. Aside from a very few who
had lived on rented lands, and who were designated as "free,"
these people began their career as an independent race with no
material possessions. Under slavery the Negro race was free
from those cares and problems which attend the struggles for
independent social and economic existence, and thus there were
grave fears in the hearts of black and white alike as these people,
wholly untrained, set about the task of establishing homes, educating
the young, and seeking productive labor.

During the first few years following the war nearly all of the
Negroes in the South lives in rented houses, and many of them
worked as "share-croppers" on the lands of their former masters.
Farming, however, offered but little at this period to the newly
emancipated people who were desirous of owning their homes,
schools and churches, and thus it came about that many of them
sought the "public works," as every industry, save agriculture,
was commonly called. At this period the railroad passing through
Caroline bought large quantities of wood, all engines being wood-burners,
and so the cutting of cord-wood and railroad ties gave
much work to the colored people of the county, and enabled them
to acquire homes far more rapidly than they could have done
otherwise.

In securing homes, schools and churches the Negro race in
Caroline was, in many instances, greatly aided and encouraged
by the white people, while, on the other hand, there were those
whose attitude was discouraging. The results of their efforts
in Caroline, as elsewhere in the South, have been remarkable,
when considered in the light of their economic background. At
present (1924) there are nearly seventeen hundred home-owners
among the Negroes of Caroline, nearly half of which are unencumbered.
They own approximately sixty thousand acres of
land, nearly half of which is improved. There are about one
thousand colored farmers in the county. Their land holdings
in the county, with the buildings thereon, may be conservatively
valued at one million dollars. There are now (1924) about
seventeen thousand people in Caroline, the population being quite
evenly divided between the two races. In no section of the
country do the two races live together in more harmony, peace
and co-operation.

The effort to secure homes was no greater than the effort
to secure places of worship, for the colored race possesses a
remarkable religious sense. Under slavery many of them attended
the churches of their masters, and after the war many continued
to do so. However, the new status made a continuation of the
pre-war custom undesirable. The first attempt of the colored
people of Caroline to have a separate and distinct place of worship
ante-dates the war. The records show that as early as 1850
the white people of Port Royal aided those who had belonged to
Enon Baptist Church (white) to build for themselves. Dr.
Charles Urquhart gave the land for the building, and Philip
Lightfoot and others gave the material. The servants around
Port Royal were given time to work on the building. George
Smith, servant of Philip Lightfoot, was made the first leader of
this congregation. White ministers preached for them occasionally.
Ministers of the colored race were always in charge, and prominent
among these was one Tolson Johnson, "who could read the Bible."

In 1867, the colored people around Port Royal united and
formed Shiloh Baptist Church. Tolson Johnson was made the
first pastor and C. G. Jackson, J. H. Satterwhite, Morton Jefferson,
Henry Turner and William Johnson the first deacons. This
church was burned in 1869 and rebuilt in 1871. Following the
death of Rev. Tolson Johnson in 1888, Rev. J. H. A. Cyrus became
pastor, and he, in turn, was succeeded by Rev. L. A. Goodloe,
under whose pastorate two churches were built, the first one being
destroyed by a cyclone. Upon the death of Rev. L. A. Goodloe
in 1912, Rev. L. L. Davis, a professor in the Caroline Training
School, became pastor and still continues in this office. This
church has a membership of 214 and property valued at $4,000.

The next church organization among the colored people of
Caroline was the Bethlehem Baptist Church near Mica post-office.
This organization was effected the year after the war by
Burrell Toler, Elmo Taylor, Charles Barnett, E. J. Roy and fifteen
others. This church has been served successively by Rev. J. W.
Pendleton (1865-97), Rev. J. H. A. Cyrus (1898-07), Rev. T. M.
Allen (1907-22), Rev. E. L. R. Guss (1922_). Beginning in a
brush arbour this church has erected four buildings, the present
one valued at five thousand dollars, and having gas lights, iron
fence around grounds and other improvements. The membership
is nearly three hundred.

In 1866, a number of the colored members of Salem Baptist

Church (white) at Sparta, met and formed Jerusalem Baptist
Church near Sparta. Four of the charter members of this
organization survive (1924), one of them Wilson Young, having
been the leading spirit in the organization. For two years
Jerusalem Church met from house to house and in 1868 a plot
of land was secured and a log building erected thereon. Gabriel
Winston, Henry Young, Richard Banks, Spencer Todd, Washington
Young, James Pollard, Nelson Garner, Washington Banks,
Randall Montague, and others, descendants of the founders, are
the leading spirits in the church today. Rev. Gabriel Winston,
Rev. Herod Johnson, Rev. H. L. Young, Rev. Spencer Todd and
Rev. R. W. Young, have served this church as pastors. The
membership is 395 and the property valuation is five thousand
dollars.

First Mt. Zion Church, located on the road from Upper Zion
to Sparta, was organized in 1870 by James Carter, Virginia Carter,
Malinda Lee, Humphrey Latane, Martha Latane, Philip Johnson,
Lucy Johnson and others. The first place of worship was a brush
arbour, the next a rented building. The present house of worship
was erected in 1899 and is valued at ten thousand dollars. Rev.
R. W. Young, son of a former pastor, has served this church for
many years and has accomplished much in the educational and
spiritual life of the community. Probably no colored minister
has made a more valuable contribution to the county.

Mt. Dew Baptist Church was organized in 1869 by Rev.
Elmore Taylor, Rev. Burwell Toler and Rev. Spencer Kay. The
latter became the first pastor. The church was first named
Moss Neck Church, from the location and later named Mt. Dew
for Captain Dew, who gave an acre of land to the congregation.
Rev. Spencer Kay, Rev. John Pendleton, Rev. J. H. A. Cyrus
and Rev. L. L. Davis have served this church. The membership
is 169 and the property valuation two thousand dollars.

Zion Grove Baptist Church was organized in 1880 by Rev.
John Pendleton, and has since been served by Rev. — Clair,
Rev. — Osborne, Rev. — Samuel, Rev. — Barton, and the
present pastor, Rev. L. M. Stephens. This congregation worships
in one of the most beautiful buildings in the county, which
is valued at ten thousand dollars and which was erected in 1917
under the leadership of the present pastor. The membership is
two hundred.

Mt. Tabor Baptist Church was organized in 1872 by a council

of white Baptist ministers and the Rev.—Hart, a white minister,
served the church as pastor for some time, having an assistant
in the person of Rev. Harrison Smith, a licensed colored minister,
who also preached occasionally. In 1876 Rev. L. A. Goodloe
became pastor and served twelve years. Suceeding him were
Rev.—Bias, Rev.—Yates, Rev. R. W. Young, who served
twelve years; Rev. T. M. Allen, who served thirteen years, and
the present pastor, Rev. R. N. Lawson. The membership is
340 and the property valuation eleven thousand dollars.

St. Stephen's Baptist Church, at Central Point, was organized
in 1872 by Rev. Spencer Todd and Rev. H. L. Young, with
the assistance of Rev. Andrew Broaddus (white), of Salem Church,
Sparta. Like most of the churches, this congregation has had two
buildings, the second and present one being the largest and most
costly house of worship in Caroline, white or colored. The
property is worth about twenty thousand dollars and the membership
is nearly three hundred. The following ministers have
served this church. Rev. A. Goode, nine years; Rev. E. Freeman,
five years; Rev. A. G. Bundy, one year; Rev. E. A. Johnson,
thirty-one years; Rev. L. L. Davis, present pastor, since 1917
There are few members of this congregation who have as much as
one-half negro blood The people of the church and community
are, as a whole, very nearly white and, out of their community,
could not be recognized or distinguished as colored people. It
is said that the predominating blood in them is that of the
Indian and white races. M. W. Byrd has served St. Stephen's
Church as clerk for over forty years.

Jericho Baptist Church, near McDuff, was organized in 1877,
with Henry Carter, Isaac Johnson and Harvey Nelson leading.
Rev. J. M. Hines and Rev. W. M. Washington have served the
congregation since it formation. The membership is 146 and the
property valuation $5,000.

First Baptist Church, at Guinea, was organized by Rev.
Willis Robinson, Rev. J. J. Coates and Rev. George McGowan
in 1892 and has been served since by Rev. George McGowan,
William Washington, Rev. W. P. Carter, Rev. W. Johnson,
Rev. W. L. Hancock and Rev. J. M. Boswell. This church owns
and occupies the building formerly owned and occupied by a
white congregation known as Bithynia Church (Disciples), which
was disbanded about twenty-five years ago.

St. James' Baptist Church was formed in 1867 from the

colored members of Providence Church (white) and is located
on the road from Bowling Green to Sparta. This congregation
has built one brush arbour, two log-houses and two frame
buildings. Rev. L. A. Goodloe, Rev. E. A. Johnson, Rev. C. A.
Lindsey and Rev. E. L. R. Guss have served. The membership
is about 150 and the property valuation $3,500.

Shiloh Baptist Church, located in the town of Bowling Green,
was formed in 1866 with sixty members, under the leadership
of Rev. Burrell Toler and Rev. Herod Johnson. There are
three members now living who were present at the organization.
These are: London Myers, James Baylor and William Fortune.
A plot of ground was bought for the erection of a building, but,
owing to a defect in the title, was about to be lost when Robert
Hudgin (white), who was clerk of the court of Caroline, came
to the rescue and saved the lots to them. This church has
erected or improved three buildings. The present house of
worship and the land owned by the church on which a parsonage
will be erected, are valued at fifteen thousand dollars. The
membership of this church is 325 and the Sunday school is the
largest in the Mattaponi Baptist Association.

St. John's Baptist Church, near Balty, was organized in 1866,
under the leadership of Rev. J. F. Wright, who was its first
pastor. He was succeeded by Rev. Spencer Todd, Rev. C. W.
Berkeley and Rev. C. A. Lindsey. The last named is the present
pastor. This church has a membership of 750, the largest in
Caroline, and holds property to the value of five thousand dollars.

Mt. Calvary Church, near Milford, was organized in 1899
by W. M. Paige, W. L. Smith, Ralph Coleman, Robert Tyler
and Paul Waytes. Rev. Washington Young was the first pastor
and was succeeded by Rev. C. W. Berkeley and Rev. M. L.
Johnson. The membership is 130 and the property valuation
$3,000

Second Mt. Zion, near Dawn, has a membership of 314.
Rev. H. Debricks is pastor.

Third Mt. Zion, near Woodford, has a membership of 135.
Rev. M. L. Johnson is pastor

Oxford Mt Zion, near Doswell, has a membership of 184
Rev. G. G. McGhee is pastor.

Mt. Olivet, near Lent, has a membership of 96. Rev. W. H.
Ford is pastor.

Ebenezer Church, near Chilesburg, has a membership of 257.
Rev. W. H. Ford is pastor.

First Mt. Calvary, near Dawn, has 74 members. Rev. J. B.
Braxton is pastor.

Mt. Salem, near Penola, has 130 members. Rev. M. C. Ruffin
is pastor.

St. Paul's, near Delos, has 73 members. Rev. R. L. Harrison
is pastor.

Second Baptist, near Ruther Glen, has — members. Rev.
J. R. West is pastor.

St. Luke's, near Dawn, has 88 members. Rev. A. Williams
is pastor.

Rappahannock-Liberty Church, near Return, has 31 members.

Reedy Church, near Penola, has a membership of 100.

THE CAROLINE COUNTY SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION

After twenty-five years of experience in group organization,
through the church and Sunday school, and after a few of the
younger coloured people had received training in Hampton and
Petersburg, another organization was effected which was destined
to play a larger part in the developing life of the colored people
than any other institution in the county, save the church. This
was the Caroline Sunday School Union, which was formed in
1893 under the leadership of Rev. W. J. (?) Turner. The purpose
of the organization was to bring the scattered groups of young
colored people together to study the Sunday school lessons
together and to better prepare this selected group for Christian
leadership. Little progress was made prior to 1896, there being
at that date only $3.36 in the treasury and only two Sunday
schools holding on to the Union. Under the care of Rev. R. W.
Young, who took charge of the Union in 1896, a period of growth
ensued and in six years, twelve new organizations were added
and property valued at five hundred dollars was acquired.

THE CAROLINE COUNTY TRAINING SCHOOL

The Caroline Sunday School Union definitely decided as early
as 1902 to build a high school for the colored youth of the county.
A tract of land was purchased two miles south of Bowling Green,
on the highway, and on October 1, 1903, an eight-months school,
under the name Champlain and Bowling Green Industrial Academy

was opened. After one year the word Champlain was dropped and
the Bowling Green Industrial Academy operated as a private
institution for the next eleven years, under the direction of a
board of trustees. Rev. L. L. Davis was for eleven years the
principal of this school and also instructor in vocational agriculture.
During this period many of the leading colored people of
the county attended this school and from it went out many young
men and women who presided over the smaller schools of
the county. It is conservative to say that Rev. L. L. Davis has
contributed more to the intellectual, cultural and spiritual life

Caroline County Training School

of the colored people of Caroline than any other man. Under
the leadership of Rev. L. L. Davis and Rev. R. W. Young the
school bought 35 acres of land during the eleven years, erected
two buildings and increased the faculty to four teachers. The
people of the county contributed over seven thousand dollars
to the school during the eleven years it operated as a private
institution. A few white people in the county lent some aid.
Rev. L. L. Davis interested Miss Frances E. Wright, a white
lady, who had assisted him during his student days at Hampton
Institute and upon her death she left the school five thousand
dollars.

In 1914, when sentiment was rising in favor of establishing
rural high schools in Virginia for colored youth, John Washington
(white), then Division Superintendent of Schools in Caroline,
made application for the Bowling Green Academy to be accepted

into the public school system and to receive aid from the Slater
Fund. Thus the school came to be the Caroline County Training
School, operating under the local school authorities. Prof. G.
Hays Buchanan was appointed principal and remained at the
head of the school two years, retiring in 1916.

Prof. A. M. Walker, of the Colored State Normal, Petersburg,
Virginia Union University, and Howard University, was elected
principal in 1916 and has presided with ability since that time.
The school has added an agricultural building, a dormitory for
boys and an administration building of six rooms with auditorium,
within the past six years, at a cost of about seventeen thousand
dollars. Of this amount the local school board was not asked to
contribute a cent.

The growth of the school in material value, great as it has been,
has not kept pace with the growth of the school in importance to
the cultural and spiritual life of a rapidly developing people. The
school fosters the ideal of service, and fully one-half of the eighty-seven
graduates of the school have served as teachers within Caroline
county. Many have pursued their studies in higher institutions
of learning and are now holding responsible positions. One of
the graduates, Rev. E. L. R. Guss, is pastor of two churches in
the county. For earnestness of purpose and a desire to help
humanity a more serious set of workers would be hard to find.
That the school is touching the entire life of the colored population
of the county is shown by the fact that pupils from twenty-eight
public schools in Caroline attend here and in 1922 there was
a pupil or a teacher from every community in the county.

The Caroline Training School offers, in addition to ten grades
of work as set down by the State Department of Education,
courses in agriculture and home economics. In 1922 the high
school department stood second in reading and first and second
in writing among the eleven colored high schools of the State of
Virginia. Graduates are entered without examination in Hampton
Institute, Hampton, Va., Virginia Normal and Industrial
Institute, Howard University and other like institutions.

COLORED PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN CAROLINE

In the organization and support of school improvement
leagues and in the fostering of education among their people,
the colored citizens of Caroline challenge comparison with any
section of Virginia. For the past twelve years there has been

a supervisor for colored schools and much progress has been made
during this period, especially in the school buildings and grounds.
Practically all of the thirteen two-room schools and the twenty-two
one-room schools in Caroline have been remodeled so as to
conform to the State requirements. The work in this connection
and the cost attached thereto has been cared for in most cases
by the patrons of the schools. In some instances aid has been
received from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, but in all cases the
patrons, under the leadership of the pastor of the neighborhood
church, or the supervisor of colored school, have cheerfully contributed
to the limit of their ability. Education and religion
are the chief interests of the colored people of Caroline. In 1915
the colored school leagues of the county contributed eight thousand
dollars to school work within the county. There are now in the
county one high school, one three-room school, thirteen two-room
schools, and twenty-two one-room schools.

THE MATTAPONI BAPTIST ASSOCIATION

In 1879, under the leadership of Rev. R. C. Kemp, Rev. L. A.
Goodloe, Rev. B. F. Robinson and others, the Mattaponi Association
was formed at Shiloh Baptist Church in Bowling Green.
This body is not confined exclusively to Caroline, but it is a
striking fact that Caroline has thirty of the seventy-three churches
embraced in the Association. The purpose of this Association
of colored churches is "to promote the cause of Christ by fraternal
intercourse, mutual counsel and by fostering Christian education,
home and foreign missions, and evangelistic work." The seventy-three
churches of the Association raised much money for the
purposes outlined in the constitution and also contributed to
needy ministers and supports a number of boys and girls in the
higher institutions of learning. Rev. C. A. Lindsey, a native of
Caroline, has been moderator of the Association for many years.

POLITICAL LIFE

The colored people of Caroline, while using the political
privileges granted them, have not made politics and political
ambitions the important things in life. Two colored men,
William E. Crockett and Philip Pendleton, have made the race
for membership in the House of Delegates, but both were defeated.

Rev. L. A. Goodloe was appointed postmaster of Bowling

Green under Grant's administration and held the office for
several years. Isaac Morton, Philip Pendleton and J. H. A. Cyrus
each served as postmaster of Port Royal. M. F. Byrd and Wilson
Young are at present (1924) postmasters respectively at Central
Point and File. In 1923 there were 450 colored voters in Caroline.

THE CAROLINE COUNTY NEGRO AGRICULTURAL AND SCHOOL FAIR

In 1905, there was formed at the Bowling Green Academy a
Farmers' Conference. This organization had for its aim the
improvement of farming conditions among the colored people
of the county. This Conference has met regularly and increased
in importance steadily since that time. Under its auspices a
county fair is held annually. At this fair the several farm clubs
of the county place on exhibition their best products. The
county fair was begun in 1914 under the direction of W. G. Young,
colored farm demonstrator, and is being continued under the
leadership of W. H. Craighead who holds the same office and who
is a very capable instructor.

Thus it will be seen that the colored people of the county
have made remarkable progress during the past half century.
They have learned thrift and economy and have taken on all of
the responsibilities of good citizenship. The two races live in
peace and harmony and in an industrious manner the colored
people are working out their own salvation along the line laid
out by their fathers who formed the present church and school
organizations.