Prince Edward County: History, Art and Waterways

Between Civil Rights History, Art and Waterways

Prince Edward County combines significant chapters of American history with museums, historic landscapes and activities on the water. The focus may be on civil rights history, art and regional history, or paddling trips, golf and other recreational experiences.

History to See and Experience

The Robert Russa Moton Museum is a National Historic Landmark and is regarded as the birthplace of the student-led civil rights revolution in the United States. The permanent exhibition “The Moton School Story: Children of Courage” tells the stories of the students from Prince Edward who expanded the understanding of equality for all Americans. The museum thus provides a concrete way to engage with a subject that continues to shape the county’s history.

Another way to learn about this history at your own pace is the Civil Rights Walking Tour. The self-guided tour is two miles long and leads to 17 stops marked by interpretive signs, connected to Prince Edward County’s contributions to the civil rights movement. For planning the day, the fixed length is just as relevant as the number of stops.

Sailor's Creek Battlefield also represents a historical perspective: The site is a National Historic Landmark because the battle fought there ultimately led to the surrender of the army of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The Overton-Hillsman House served as a field hospital during and after the battle. Travelers who want to explore historic places not only through exhibitions but also through their actual settings can take this focus into account when planning their trip.

Art and Regional History in Farmville

In the Farmville Historic District, commercial, residential and industrial sections come together in an instructive ensemble of historic buildings. The northern section features large warehouses dating from around the turn of the 20th century; they reflect the importance of the tobacco industry to Farmville’s economy. The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts is located in the Historic District at the intersection of Third Street and Main Street, where US 460 and US 15 meet.

The Longwood Center is a shared forum for students and faculty of Longwood University as well as for the people of South Central Virginia. It houses more than 100,000 works of art and design dating from antiquity to the present, and admission is free for everyone. The Esther Thomas Atkinson Museum, by contrast, focuses on the history of Hampden-Sydney College and its role in the history of Virginia and the United States. The exhibition “Celebrating Virginia’s History: A Look at Prince Edward County” uses interactive videos, artifacts and narrative interpretation and addresses the county’s contributions during the American Revolution, the Civil War and the civil rights movement.

Waterways, Landscapes and Active Days

The Farmville Blueway Paddle Trail is a protected water corridor maintained for recreational canoeing and kayaking. The four-mile waterway begins at the eastern end of Wilck’s Lake, crosses the lake, enters Buffalo Creek and continues along the Appomattox River to the takeout point at Riverside Park. When choosing a vacation rental or holiday home, travelers can therefore consider whether paddling days, museum visits or historic tours should form the desired focus.

Another notable landscape feature is High Bridge, which is more than 2,400 feet long. Twin Lakes State Park is considered the only state park established before the civil rights era for African Americans. For a trip with different interests, these historical and landscape themes can be combined with other activities: Manor Resort Golf Club is an 18-hole golf course with PGA sanctioning in Prince Edward County, while Adventure Park at Sandy River Retreat offers four courses at heights of 12 to 36 feet above the ground.

The annual Farmville Wine Festival takes place at Riverside Park in Farmville. Such individual events complement the permanently described museums, tours and waterways with a special occasion. When searching for accommodation in Prince Edward County, it is therefore worthwhile to first determine your preferred travel rhythm: cultural sightseeing, self-guided history, paddling, sports or a deliberately mixed trip.

You can also compare other destinations at the same regional level: Rockbridge County, Emporia, King George, Prince George, Northampton County, Manassas, Pulaski County.

For the broader travel overview: Virginia.