Patrick Central School

In the late 1940s, as federal courts were requiring equity for segregated schools, the African American community in Patrick County campaigned for a consolidated school to replace inadequate facilities. In 1952, Patrick Central School opened 0.6 miles southwest of here to serve the county’s African American students in grades 1-12, providing them with a full high school education for the first time. Its athletic teams, clubs, and cultural events fostered community cohesion and pride. Alumni worked in education, government, medicine, engineering, the military, and other fields. Patrick Central was closed in 1966, when the county fully desegregated its schools to comply with federal guidelines.