WYTHEVILLE, Va. (WDBJ) – In 1867, the Freedmen’s Bureau opened a school in Wytheville, the only educational institution available to African American students from Bland, Carroll, Grayson, and Wythe counties. Students traveled up to 71 miles in pursuit of education and opportunity.
That school now turned into the Wytheville Training School Cultural Center and a museum paying homage to its history, students and educators who strived for knowledge in the segregated South.
“It started out in a community and was actually moved here in 1883,” said Wytheville Training School Cultural Center Executive Director, Patricia Austin.
It was renamed the Wytheville Training School in 1926. Louis Crockett, a proud graduate of the school, recalls the challenges faced by students during that era.
“One girl had come from the Coves, and they had to get up early in the morning. They couldn’t ride on the buses then because it wasn’t integrated. So her and her brothers would walk about 3 miles to the road to catch the bus because they would allow them to come,” said Crockett.
Crockett grew up in Wytheville where she formed friendships with the white families that moved into the neighborhood until the school bell rang.
“We got along fine. We played together until we went to school. When we went to school, we separated, and they weren’t our friends anymore,” said Crockett.
At the Wytheville Training School, Crockett found camaraderie among her peers. Together they learned about prominent African American figures and how to read. She recalls the strict, yet nurturing environment fostered by her teachers.
“If you missed a word, you stood there until you got it. I’ll never forget it. I missed a word, and the word was absolutely, and I stood up there for about 10 minutes. It was so embarrassing. But I learned that word before I left for the day. It seemed like the teachers took so much interest in the kids that they had. Some of the things we didn’t like to do but what we had to do, what they taught us to do made us stronger,” said Crockett.
But she noticed the disparities in educational resources their school received compared to their white counterparts.
“I couldn’t understand why they would send those raggedy books. The pages weren’t on them. But it was just like we weren’t here,” said Crockett.
The impact of segregation was felt outside the classroom for Crockett, who recalls the harsh realities of racial discrimination, including derogatory slurs and physical confrontations. But school remained a sanctuary of joy and support. Today, Louis fondly remembers her siblings and their shared experiences captured in photographs displayed throughout the building.
“My brother Shorty. Shorty could play but they used to call him butterfingers sometimes because he would drop the ball. He was a runner though, he could run,” said Crockett.
Operating until 1952, the Wytheville Training School now stands as a museum chronicling the historical events of African Americans and the resilience of this community.
“I look at that school bell often as a form as that fundamental communication process that worked. That bell could be heard for blocks. A lot of the churches augmented the services. They had to communicate, not only to the students but the parents,” said Austin.
The Wytheville Training School Cultural Center serves as a beacon of hope, providing educational programs to the community while honoring the legacy of those who learned and played within its walls.
“Wytheville Training School was like a home away from home and I just love the Training School. I guess that’s the reason I’m still stuck around here,” said Crockett.
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