A Visit to Booker T. Washington National Monument in Virginia

One of a few reconstructed historic buildings on site at Booker T. Washington National Monument.

UPDATED: 2/5/2023

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who was booker t. washington?

Born Booker Taliaferro in 1856, the infant’s lot in life was pre-determined: Booker was born to an enslaved mother on the farm of James Burroughs in Virginia’s Piedmont region. From an early age, Booker, along with all enslaved children, was put to work on and near the 200-acre farm. Life in his family’s dirt-floor cabin was hard-scrabble and alternated between too cold in the winter and too hot in the humid Virginia summer. A highlight of those times that he would recall later in life was the occasional molasses treat from the so-called “Big House,” where the Burroughs family resided.

The entire arc of Booker’s life changed in 1865 when, at nine years of age, word reached the Burroughs farm that all enslaved people were free.

In the 50 years between then and his death in 1915 at the age of 59, Washington made a significant impact on the individual lives of tens of thousands of Black Americans, served as a leader and inspiration to others, and was at the center of the Reconstruction-era discussions and debates over the “race issue” facing the country. Washington received accolades from powerful white Americans, forming relationships with the likes of President McKinley and John D. Rockefeller. Perhaps most importantly, at his core, Washington worked tirelessly to make as much of a positive impact as he could on as many people as he could.

Washington’s views on and approaches to race relations can be considered controversial. While he and fellow thinker, activist, and writer W.E.B. DuBois initially had similar views on the matter of race, over time DuBois became frustrated with the lack of progress and shifted to a more action-driven philosophy, pitting his stance against Washington’s. In retrospect and as the country moved forward in time, some of Washington’s views were re-evaluated as being too friendly to the status quo, perhaps fairly, perhaps unfairly, as can be the case with hindsight.

The red color of the grasses looks awesome against the green plants and blue sky.

Sometimes individual circumstances and timing mean everything. DuBois was born 12 years after Washington and three years after slavery had been disbanded. They would have had different world views simply from those varying circumstances of their youth.

What is not controversial is the enormous impact Washington had on the education of Black children and adults. After going to great lengths himself to gain an education and finally ending up at what is now Hampton University and what was then called Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Washington quickly gained attention of the school’s leaders and after graduating himself and teaching for a few years, he was hand-selected to move to Alabama to start and head up the Tuskegee Institute, an endeavor similar in nature to what had been established at Hampton. (Today it is known as Tuskegee University and, along with Hampton University, is a historically black college and university, or HBCU).

There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky for our Hike at Booker T. National Monument.

Pink Xenia’s grew in abundance in the garden adding a splash of color..

A large garden has been recreated at Booker T. National Monument.

Upon his arrival in Alabama, Washington discovered essentially nothing - no money, no buildings - and he single-handedly developed a plan to solve all these various needs. It was through Washington’s work for the school, which continued until his death, that he gained broader acclaim. To solve fundraising issues, he spent a substantial amount of time on the road seeking generous philanthropists. Over time, he was asked to speak to crowds and gradually became known as a spokesperson, a role he played well but hesitatingly. In his own words, he sought to only accept speaking engagements that would help his primary goal of his school, not to be a speaker for speaking’s sake.

Perhaps the highlight of Washington’s speaking engagements was the speech he gave to an audience of both white and Black members for the International Exposition in Atlanta in 1895. With the topic of race relations, Washington’s speech was broadly acclaimed by the white audience and received a positive or mixed reaction from the Black audience. It is this speech that in retrospect has been at the heart of the controversy of Washington’s stance on relations and has been designated the “Atlanta Compromise”. One of my favorite current writers and thinkers on the topic of race relations, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote an article in 2009 for The Atlantic that centered on Washington’s speech and how it has echoed through the ages.

This Washington should be taught in American schools, just like that other Washington. (Interesting fact: Enslaved individuals had no last names, though sometimes they were informally provided the last name of the slave-owner. After being freed, many chose their own last names and typically selected a name that was personally meaningful, not tied to their former slave-owner. It was through this self-selection that Booker Taliaferro added the last name of 'Washington'.) He has an important story to tell. Interested in learning more about him after visiting this National Monument, I read his auto-biography Up from Slavery , which is a fascinating window into Reconstruction-era United States and a first-person account of the shift from slavery to freedom. Because of the age of the book, it is currently in the public domain, so you can read it for free online or can purchase a physical book through our affiliate link.

(click the image above to purchase this book through Amazon)

the location of booker T. Washington national monument

The Booker T. Washington National Monument is located in Hardy, Virginia, near Smith Mountain Lake. It is easily located off of a main road. The closest larger cities are Roanoke (about 35 minutes away) and Lynchburg (about an hour away). While its somewhat isolated location makes it harder to visit and I don’t think the site is worth a long drive to see, it would make for a great day trip for those visiting the Roanoke, Lynchburg, or Smith Mountain Lake areas. (Read our post here about visiting Lynchburg.)

The horses were very friendly… but follow the signs and keep your hands to yourself.

Split Rail Fence, Woods, Fields | Booker T. Washington National Monument | Hiking in Roanoke, Virginia | Outside Activities | Things to do during Covid | Couple Blogger | To Make Much of Time Travel Blog

Our hike threaded through fields and forest.

what to expect at booker T. Washington national monument

Booker T. Washington National Monument was established in 1956 to honor Washington’s birth place on the Burroughs’ family farm. He lived the first nine years of his life at the site until the enslaved people were freed at the end of the Civil War. After leaving, he only returned to the site once again in 1908.

Today, no original buildings remain on the site but through some replicas and a creek-side trail, visitors can transport themselves back in time and contemplate the life on the farm in the 1800s. This is also a great picnic spot.

As of present (December 2020), the visitor’s center is currently closed due to COVID; however, they have posted a 13-minute video online that they encourage visitors to watch beforehand. So, during our visit, it was a self-guided tour.

From the parking lot, which is immediately after the entrance, a sign points visitors over a grassy hill to the left of the visitor’s center building. From there, you’ll see placards and information. In the immediate vicinity are some replicas of buildings, including a slave cabin and some other outbuildings. There is also a recreated garden that had some fall blooms in full color during our visit. You will see a fenced area with some chickens and a replica of an 1850s tobacco barn that has a few horses. As an animal lover, this is always my favorite part of anywhere we visit.

From the barn, the path continues into the woods and spends most of the 1.5 mile loop trail running alongside the creek. The loop returns visitors back to the vicinity of the barn, and it is easy to find the parking lot from there. For added interest, the Burroughs family cemetery is accessible, though unmarked. The best way to describe its location: when walking from the parking lot to the left of the visitor’s center, turn left and proceed up the trodden grassy hill (the slave cabin will be behind you). There are some rough-hewn logs forming a fence around the gravestones.

The path at Booker T. National Monument is wide and flat.

An old hand mill would have been used to grind grains.

The trees are just beginning to change color for the fall.

We were surprised to find a rather large stream flowing past a section of the hike.

Without the visitor’s center being open or any advanced research on the site, visitors may be disappointed by the historic nature of the site, though they can still fully enjoy the walk through the woods. There are relatively few placards and minimal labels on any buildings, so my recommendation would be to watch the video linked above and learn a little more about the site (like what you’re reading here!) to gain more out of the experience.

When we visited recently, a large number of visitors had leashed dogs, so this is definitely a dog friendly spot. In our limited experience, no other visitors put on masks when passing us on the relatively narrow trail (though we did). One let out a series of hacking coughs after we passed, so that was lovely (eye roll). And hey, you never know what wildlife you will find on a hike. We came across a bright green snake sunbathing.