Booker T Washington National Monument

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Booker T Washington

The Booker T. Washington National Monument in Virginia is a tribute to Booker T. Washington, one of the most influential symbols of America born in slavery. This monument is the birthplace of the famous African-American educator, influential politician and orator in the 19th and 20th centuries.[1]

This monument shows a shrunken log cabin where one of the most influential black leaders in the United States was born as a slave on the former Burroughs plantation. The farm buildings in the 19th century were reconstructed buildings, but there is still a self-sufficient garden that evokes the life of Booker T. Washington before becoming a symbol of black education and empowerment. [2]

History

Booker T. Washington was born in a cabin on the tobacco plantation of James and Elizabeth Blaus in 1856 and became a slave. In his autobiography "Up from Slavery" (1901), Washington tells the story of his arduous childhood and evolved into the main educational and cultural figure of his time. The pragmatic Washington not only established an African American school in Alabama and became Tuskegee University in 1881, but also helped lead the mutual understanding between black and white Americans. A replica of the one-bedroom cottage he lived in as a child, together with other outbuildings and a center explaining this history Washington wrote about his childhood home in his autobiography,

“The cabin was not only our living-place, but was also used as the kitchen for the plantation. . . . The cabin was without glass windows; it had only openings in the side which let the light in, and also the cold, chilly air of winter. There was a door to the cabin—that is, something that was called a door—but the uncertain hinges by which it was hung, and the large cracks in it, to say nothing of the fact that it was too small, made the room a very uncomfortable one . . . we slept in and on a bundle of filthy rags laid upon the dirt floor.”

Activities

In this monument there is several activities and area that visitor can explore or experience of African-American life in slavery era including :

  • Plantation Trail (Hiking)
  • Jack-O-Lantern Branch Heritage Trail (Hiking)
  • Picnic Area
  • Farm Area (Historic Sites)
  • Garden Area (Historic Sites)[3]
The Booker T. Washington National Monument.Photographer Buyenlarge Archive Photos

Hiking

The Plantation Trail is a ¼ mile loop through the historic district. It has been reconstructed from a farmhouse in the 19th century, similar to the building where Boker T. Washington lived here when he was a boy. You are invited to explore the open buildings and read the types of each activity from the park brochure. In addition to the plantation trail, the monument also provides an opportunity to wander the 1.5 miles of fields and forests on the Jack-O-Lantern branch trail. Trail guides can be provided at the visitor center.

Historic Sites

Begin your visit at the visitor center. Exhibitions and audiovisual presentations give you an insight into the life of Booker Washington. There is also a sales area with books and related items related to the history of African Americans. Uniformed park staff and volunteers can answer your questions and help you make the most of your visit.

On weekends, hikes in historical areas guided by rangers are provided. Please contact the park for a timetable. In the farm area, sheep, pigs, horses and chickens helped people explore this rebuilt tobacco farm in the 1850s.

Here, visitors can learn about the historic animal species that existed during the Washington era. In the garden area, visitors can learn about gardening techniques used by farmers and slaves. The garden is an example of a typical living garden in Piedmont, Virginia in the 1850s.[4]

Reference

  1. Booker T. Washington National Monument Guide. Outdoorsy. Retrieved January 28, 2021
  2. Nikki Ekstein and Claire Ballentine. The Best Anti-Racist Monuments to Visit in America. Bloomberg. Retrieved January 28, 2021
  3. Booker T Washington Monument. Nps.gov. Retrieved January 28, 2021
  4. Booker T Washington National Monument. Ohranger. Retrieved January 28, 2021