ACCOMAC, Va. - Officials with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources say 15 historic sites were recently designated as Virginia landmarks. Among them is the historic Mary Nottingham Smith High School in Accomack County.
The Commonwealth's Board of Historic Resources approved these most recent designations at its quarterly public meeting on June 18. Designated landmarks appear on the Virginia Landmarks Register, which is the state's official list of places that have historic, architectural, archaeological, and cultural significance, officials say.
The Mary Nottingham Smith High School is located near the town of Accomac. Named after a renowned Black educator of the Eastern Shore, officials say it was built in 1953 to educate Black students when Virginia public schools were still racially segregated.
When it was built, the school was required to implement similar educational amenities as schools for white students. Officials say this was done to prevent integration during the school's years of operation.
The Mary Nottingham Smith High School is listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register under the African American Schools in Virginia Multiple Property Document.
The Virginia Landmarks Register can be found here.
