Booker T. Washington

https://www.nps.gov/bowa/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._Washington_National_Monument The Booker T. Washington National Monument is located near Hardy, Franklin County, Virginia. It preserves portions of the 207-acre (0.90 km²) tobacco farm on which educator and leader Booker T. Washington was born into slavery on April 5, 1856. It provides interpretation of Washington's life and achievements, as well as interpretation of 1850s slavery and farming through the use of buildings, gardens, crafts and animals. Booker T. Washington was born a slave in April 1856 on the 207-acre farm of James Burroughs. After the Civil War, Washington became the first principal of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School. Later as an adviser, author and orator, his past would influence his philosophies as the most influential African American of his era. Come explore his birthplace. The monument is located on VA 122 (Booker T. Washington Highway), 22 miles southeast of Roanoke, VA. From I-81 take I-581, then U.S. 220 south from Roanoke to VA 122. From the Blule Ridge Parkway take VA 43 south to VA 122. From Lynchburg take U.S. 460 west to VA 122. Booker T. Washington National Monument Visitor Center The visitor center is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 .pm., except for Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. Please call the park phone at 540-721-2094 to find out if the park is open or closed during inclement weather. The monument is located on VA 122 (Booker T. Washington Highway), 22 miles southeast of Roanoke, VA. From I-81 take I-581, then US 220 south from Roanoke to VA 122. From the Blue Ridge Parkway take VA 43 south to VA 122. From Lynchburg take US 460 west to VA 122. Tobacco, the cash crop Tobacco field being plowed by man with two draft horses The main crop on the plantation where Booker T. Washington was born was tobacco. This photograph shows a man with draft horses preparing to plow a field. The reconstructed kitchen cabin and smoke house in the snow Back side of kitchen cabin and smokehouse in snow with blue sky and trees The reconstructed kitchen cabin and smoke house on the farm where Booker T. Washington was born. Re-enactors in the reconstructed kitchen cabin at the Old Virginia Christmas Event Four people dressed as enslaved people in front of the fireplace in cabin Re-enactors portraying enslaved people in the reconstructed kitchen cabin where Booker T. Washington was born and lived for 9 years. Reconstructed kitchen cabin where Booker T. Washington was born Kitchen cabin with child in green dress in front Visit the reconstructed kitchen cabin where Dr. Washington was born Reconstructed kitchen cabin where Booker T. Washington was born Reconstructed kitchen cabin where Booker T. Washington was born Reconstructed kitchen cabin with herb garden An Old Virginia Christmas Two re-enactors portraying enslaved people sitting in front of fire inside kitchen cabin Two re-enactors portraying enslaved people sitting in front of fire inside kitchen cabin Visitor center Visitor Center Visitor Center Exhibits on outside of visitor center bathrooms Exhibits on outside of visitor center bathrooms Exhibits on outside of visitor center bathrooms Booker T. Washington Elementary School (Park Headquarters) Booker T. Washington Elementary School (Park Headquarters) Booker T. Washington Elementary School (Park Headquarters) Park trail and part of pasture Park trail and part of pasture Park trail and part of pasture Horse in barn Horse in barn Horse in barn Harvest Time Festival Wagon Ride Wagon coming up trail to farm with people Harvest Time Festival Wagon Ride Bat Population Monitoring at Booker T. Washington National Monument. Despite its small size of 204 acres, recent research indicates that Booker T. Washington National Monument may support a reproducing population of state endangered little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus). White-nose syndrome has dramatically reduced many bat populations across the region, and to better protect bats and their habitats, the park has been working to learn more about its bat communities. A biologist examining a bat. Women Amidst War The extreme demands of wartime industry and the loss of traditional family breadwinners to military service caused hardship, but also presented opportunities to women for employment, volunteerism, and activism that previously had been unavailable to them. While many of these gains would be temporary, the Civil War nonetheless represents an important step forward in American society's view of the role of women. Women were increasingly seen (and saw themselves) as the foundat Photo of women at a house on the Cedar Mountain battlefield A Time of Reckoning Though the end of the Civil War brought the 13th Amendment, ending slavery and providing emancipation for more than four milllion enslaved people, the Reconstruction era during which Booker T. Washington came of age witnessed legislation that attempted to limit African Americans' new found freedoms. Photo of Booker T. Washington speaking in Louisiana Reconstruction During Reconstruction, the Federal government pursued a program of political, social, and economic restructuring across the South-including an attempt to accord legal equality and political power to former slaves. Reconstruction became a struggle over the meaning of freedom, with former slaves, former slaveholders and Northerners adopting divergent definitions. Faced with increasing opposition by white Southerners and some Northerners, however, the government abandoned effor Picture depictsing former slaves and free blacks voting following the passage of the 15th amendment Emancipation and the Quest for Freedom Although the abolition of slavery emerged as a dominant objective of the Union war effort, most Northerners embraced abolition as a practical measure rather than a moral cause. The war resolved legally and constitutionally the single most important moral question that afflicted the nascent republic, an issue that prevented the country from coalescing around a shared vision of freedom, equality, morality, and nationhood. Slave family seated in front of their house A Record Crowd of 1300 Attends Juneteenth Event at Booker T. Washington National Monument More than 1,300 people visited Booker T. Washington National Monument on Saturday, June 15, 2019 for the park’s annual celebration of freedom! Families began the day listening to the sounds of gospel music and smelling foods prepared by several vendors including white fish, hot dogs, hamburgers and barbecue. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Booker T Washington National Monument, Virginia Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. field with cabins National Park Getaway: Booker T. Washington National Monument Booker T. Washington National Monument is the birthplace of noted educator, orator, and presidential adviser, Dr. Booker T. Washington. Washington rose “Up From Slavery” to become one of the most influential African American leaders at the turn of the 20th century. Dr. Washington’s life began as an enslaved person on a farm in these foothills. Log cabin with a stone chimney surrounded by green grass with a blue sky. Geophysical Survey at Booker T. Washington National Monument In 2013, a team of archeologists, cultural resource specialists, park staff, and volunteers conducted a five day geophysical survey at Booker T. Washington National Monument. Using a coordinate grid system, the team used ground penetrating radar, a resistivity meter, and a gradiometer/magnetometer to collect data that will provide insight into the physical layout of the former Burroughs’ Plantation. Survey flags are evenly spaced across the grass surrounding a cabin The Civilian Experience in the Civil War After being mere spectators at the war's early battles, civilians both near and far from the battlefields became unwilling participants and victims of the war as its toll of blood and treasure grew year after year. In response to the hardships imposed upon their fellow citizens by the war, civilians on both sides mobilized to provide comfort, encouragement, and material, and began to expect that their government should do the same. Painting of civilians under fire during the Siege of Vicksburg 2020 Weather In Review: Booker T. Washington National Monument In 2020, Booker T. Washington National Monument experienced the wettest year ever recorded for Franklin County (since 1895). It was also the 7th warmest year on record. A view of farmland on a rainy day. An introduction to the benthic macroinvertebrate community at Booker T. Washington National Monument Benthic macroinvertebrates are an important part of stream ecosystems in Booker T. Washington National Monument. NPS scientists are studying these organisms in order to better understand and protect park natural resources. NPS staff examining a net for benthic macroinvertebrates. Breeding bird monitoring at Booker T. Washington National Monument: 2019 status and trends To help inform natural resource management at Booker T. Washington National Monument, National Park Service scientists collect data about breeding bird populations. See what they learned from this data in 2019. Red-headed woodpecker on a branch. 2021 Weather In Review: Booker T. Washington National Monument In 2021, Booker T. Washington National Monument experienced a year that was much drier and warmer than average. Purple sunrise with black silhouetted trees. Resilient Forests Initiative - Managing Invasive Plants & Pests Park forests are threatened by invasive plants and pests. Strategically tackling invasive plants to protect park’s highest priority natural resources and planning around forest pests and pathogens are important actions in managing resilient forests. Forest Regeneration I&M Networks Support Resilient Forest Management NPS Inventory and Monitoring Networks have been tracking forest health in eastern national parks since 2006. This monitoring information can guide resilient forest management and support parks in adapting to changing conditions through the actions described below. Forest health monitoring Ajena Cason Rogers: Amplifying Voices of African American Women While Ajena Rogers has had a variety of roles with the NPS, she became recognized for her expertise as a living history interpreter, portraying the lives of African American women at historic sites. In a 2020 oral history interview with the Park History Program, Rogers speaks of the privilege and burden of this first-person technique, experiencing racial dynamics of both past and present, and the family history that she carries forward. Ajena Rogers in character, in bonnet and apron with a mixing bowl and gazing out a kitchen window. Series: Managing Resilient Forests Initiative for Eastern National Parks Forests in the northeastern U.S. are in peril. Over-abundant deer, invasive plants, and insect pests are negatively impacting park forests, threatening to degrade the scenic vistas and forested landscapes that parks are renowned for. With regional collaboration, parks can manage these impacts and help forests be resilient. This article series explores tools available to park managers to achieve their goals. Healthy forests have many native seedlings and saplings. Geraldine M. Bell When Geraldine Bell first joined the National Park Service (NPS) in 1967 she only planned to stay for three months. She came back in time to play an important role during the celebrations for the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence. Just three years later she made history as the first Black woman superintendent. Geraldine Bell poses in her NPS uniform, with a badge on her shirt. Managing Resilient Forests. A Regional Initiative Forests cover tens of thousands of acres in eastern national parks and these critical resources face a range of interacting stressors: over-abundant white-tailed deer populations, invasive plant dominance, novel pests and pathogens, among other threats. The Resilient Forests Initiative will help parks address these issue collectively. Forest health monitoring Resilient Forests Initiative - Forest Complexity Much of the forest in the eastern United States is around the same age, regrowing after widespread land clearing that peaked between the 1880's and 1920's. Throughout the twentieth century, forests began to regenerate, eventually spreading onto abandoned agricultural lands. Canopy gap 2022 Weather in Review: Booker T. Washington National Monument Booker T. Washington National Monument experienced warmer and much wetter 2022 than a typical year. Bust of Booker T. Washington with blue sky in the background Back to the Future: National Park Service to convert agricultural acres to native grasslands The National Park Service is investing funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to increase the ecological and cultural values in landscape restoration projects in six parks in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and western Pennsylvania. The initial work will focus on converting approximately 400 acres of open lands that have been previously used for agriculture into native grasslands. a sunset over a battlefield with lone cannon 2023 Weather in Review: Booker T. Washington National Monument In all, 2023 was warmer than average, but precipitation was near normal at Booker T. Washington National Monument. It was the 7th warmest and 61st driest year in Franklin County, VA since 1895. Park visitors walking around a cabin with split-rail fence in the background. Staff Spotlight: Floyd Myers Meet Floyd Myers, who is the Chief of Business Development and Partnerships for the National Parks of New York Harbor. He was previously the acting Deputy Superintendent at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park and worked at several other parks before that, including the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, Selma to Montgomery National Historic Site, Booker T. Washington National Historic Site, and others. Floyd Myers in uniform Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park Service To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. Project Profile: Restore Eastern Grasslands The National Park Service will restore up to 4,000 acres of agricultural fields and degraded lands across 37 parks in 15 states. This landscape-scale restoration project will expand the range and connectivity of native grasslands across the eastern US, restore biodiversity and critical ecosystem functions, reduce pesticide use, benefit people and wildlife, and create employment opportunities for diverse early career youth. A park manager and others standing amidst a grassy landscape. Project Profile: Managing Resilient Eastern Forests The National Park Service will improve the ecological health of eastern forests in 38 parks using an array of management techniques. The NPS has selected forest ecosystems of high ecological and cultural value across multiple parks from Virginia to Maine that are at greatest risk of forest loss due to chronic and interacting stressors. Person gazes up at a tall tree Inventory & Monitoring Partnerships Aim to Improve Park Forest Health from Coast to Coast From coast to coast, the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division is helping park managers improve the health and function of forest ecosystems. From promoting resilient forests in the Northeast, to conserving whitebark pine in the West, to protecting Hawaiian forest birds from avian malaria, scientific partnerships are helping parks to share information, leverage funding sources, and work together for outcomes that extend beyond what any park could accomplish on its own. Four people, one in NPS uniform, stand in a forest. Three look upward through binoculars. Hidden in Plain Sight: Old Growth Remnant Grasslands During 2024 scouting for a large eastern grassland restoration project funded by IRA and BIL, several old growth remnant grasslands were identified in National Capital and Northeast Region parks that were previously unknown. These remnants preserve the genetic integrity of the original grassland flora of the eastern US and are true unexpected treasures that in some cases, were hidden in plain sight. a grassland landscape with distant trees

To Jack-O-Lantern Branch Heritage Trail Corn Field Tobacco Barn Plantation Trail Loop Tobacco Field Slave Cabin Site Smokehouse Kitchen Cabin (where Booker lived) Blacksmith Shed Duck Lot Corn Crib Horse Barn Burroughs House Site Chicken House Plantation Trail Loop Heirloom Garden Hog Pens To Burroughs Cemetery To Visitor Center