Site Type: Private Home

Historical Significance:

The Virginia Randolph Cottage is located at the Virginia Randolph Educational Center. In 1908, the Henrico County training school instructor Virginia Estelle Randolph (1874-1958), daughter of parents born slaves, was appointed the nations first Jeanes supervising industrial teacher. Randolph graduated from Richmond Normal School in 1890 at 16 and immediately began teaching in Goochland County and later at Mountain Road School in Henrico. Impressed with her teaching skills and methods, Jackson T. Davis, superintendent of instructions for the black schools in Henrico County, sent Randolph to other schools to teach those methods. Randolph's teaching concepts were adopted by General Samuel C. Armstrong and Booker T. Washington at Hampton Institute and Tuskegee. Randolph continued teaching at Mountain Road School under her retirement in 1949. The school closed and was reestablished as the Virginia Randolph Education Center in 1969. The 1939 cottage where Randolph taught home economics and had her office converted into a museum honoring the educator, who is buried on the grounds in front.

Physical Description:

Brick cottage