Photo by mcbeaty101010
Submitted by EJ Scott:
The Prince William NAACP celebrated Black History Month at the City of Manassas’ dedication of a historic marker on Liberty Street on Sunday afternoon. Liberty Street is part of the City’s historically black neighborhood. A legacy left from the days of segregation.
Liberty Street hosts the first African American school in Prince William County. Built in 1870, first named the Manassas Village Colored School, the school was renamed the Brown School, after a Quaker benefactor provided funding for improvements, teachers, and supplies. The building still stands, although it serves as a private residence today.
The historic marker is two-sided. On one side, facing Prince William Street, the marker tells the history of Liberty Street. The other side recounts the story of the of the historic Brown School.
Over 100 people attended the dedication and the reception at the Manassas Museum that followed. Some of the attendees walked down Liberty Street to see the school building and explore this historic street.
