Ruthville
Charles City County, Virginia
This area was one of the centers of Charles City's free black community before the Civil War and was named for Ruth Brown with the establishment of the post office in 1880. Abraham Brown, a major landowner of the area, founded Elam Church in 1810, one of the oldest regularly organized black Baptist churches in Virginia. His son, Reverend Samuel Brown was a prominent local minister. Following the Civil War local residents established a cooperative store, the Mercantile Cooperative Company, and two schools, Bull Field Academy (1881-1911) and the Ruthville Training Center (1911-30). A.Q. Franklin who served in the House of Delegates (1889-91) and W.S. Brown, first black member of the Board of Supervisors (1891-1904) were local residents. Dr. C.S. Franklin, a renowned dermatologist, resided at Cedar Grove. The area was formerly known as Vaidens Crossroads and included Vaidens Store and Boss Ferguson's Northwood Academy.
Marker is on The Glebe Lane (Virginia Route 615) 0.1 miles west of Ruthville Road (Virginia Route 612), on the right when traveling west.
Courtesy hmdb.org
