RADFORD – Radford Mayor David Horton is continuing his daily spotlights honoring Radford Black History Month on his personal Facebook page, focusing on an historic church among his latest installments.
He writes:
Monday, Feb. 8:
To celebrate #radfordblackhistory today, I thought we would remember a time before Radford was Radford when one of the oldest congregations in our community was established.
In the fall of 1869, just a few short years after the end of the Civil War, our community was still known as Lovely Mount.
Rev. Capt. Charles S. Schaeffer of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands met with the people of Lovely Mount and organized the Lovely Mount Baptist Church.
Sarah Carter, who we profiled last week, researched the history of Lovely Mount Baptist Church from its founding on Nov. 13, 1869, in a storehouse on Rock Road, to its relocation in 1898, when the congregation purchased the Lutheran church that stood on Fairfax Street between Washington Street and Adams Street and changed its name to the First Baptist Church.
The pictures of campus from the 1940s and the 1950s shows the area of the church marked in yellow.
The first church of the Baptist denomination in Radford, Lovely Mount/First Baptist Church served the African American community for more than 60 years until Radford College purchased it in 1961 and demolished it to expand Peters Hall.
The congregation still continues to this day at First Baptist Church on Rock Road and The marker pictured that denotes the history was dedicated during the Radford University Centennial Celebration in 2010-2011.
At the time of the dedication of the plaque in March, 2011 a senior member of the congregation, Walter Price Jr., who was accepted as a member of Lovely Mount Baptist Church through baptism in the New River at the age of 12— 90 years ago, was among the group present.
He noted that Lovely Mount Baptist Church was the heart of the community with Sunday services, picnics, school graduations and other major events held on the grounds.
More on Reverend Schaeffer – https://schaefferbaptistchurch.org/history/
Tuesday, Feb. 9:
Today in #radfordblackhistory we feature one of the greatest athletes in Radford High School and later Virginia Tech History – John Dobbins.
He was among the first African American athletes to participate on the RHS teams of the 1960s. He was so strong and so fast that no one could keep up with him. In one game against Fort Chiswell, he had already scored five touchdowns when a player of the FC bench couldn’t take it anymore and jumped up to tackle him.
His legend lives large at Norman G. Lineburg field at Bobcat Stadium as he scored the very first touchdown in that facility when it opened. He was a leader on and off the field.
These talents and a move toward integration helped propel him to become the first African American football player at nearby VPI (Virginia Tech) in the fall of 1969 on the freshman team and in 1970 on the varsity squad. His success helped propel the team to great seasons during his time there.
Radford remained his home and he spent his working career at what is today Volvo in Dublin. Thousands of local kids knew him as a legendary leader coaching youth sports in the years following in Radford. He was a genuine foundation of the late 20th century for this community and following his passing in 2003, his life was commemorated with John Dobbins Park located right behind the Fred Wygal School building, now home to Radford City Public School administration.
It is not easy to be the first to break a major barrier like he did, but Mr. Dobbins did so with grace, talent, and pride.
Please continue to celebrate and share the stories in your life for #radfordblackhistory.
Wednesday Feb. 10:
As we continue to celebrate #radfordblackhistory we have received many messages from Radford citizens nominating people who folks would like to recognize.
Today we are highlighting the work of a regional champion for people of color right here in the NRV – Nannie Mae Berger Hairston.
Ms. Hairston was a fierce advocate for civil rights and channeled her energy and spirit through many significant roles with the Montgomery County–Radford City–Floyd County branch of the NAACP.
Originally hailing from West Virginia, the oldest of 10 children and the daughter of a coal miner, she settled in the NRV in Christiansburg with her family but she has many connections to the city of Radford.
Ms. Hairston worked to expand local employment opportunities for African American women, was a founding member of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, and a supporter of the history of African American education through her advocacy for the Hill School and the Christiansburg Institute which served as the high school available to the region’s African American students, including those from Radford until the mid 1960s when the area began integrating more fully.
According to the library of Virginia, In 1997 the state chapter of the NAACP recognized Ms. Hairston’s civic and humanitarian work with the Maggie L. Walker Community Service Award.
A bronze bust of Ms. Hairston, created to commemorate her community work, was dedicated at the Montgomery County Government Center in 2006 and the local branch of the Virginia NAACP annually presents the Nannie B. Hairston Award to a member for outstanding and long-standing service to the branch and community.
To honor her and her husband of 70 years, the John T. & Nannie B. Hairston Endowed Scholarship was established at New River Community College.
Ms. Hairston’s legacy continues to this day through the recognition of her work and the efforts of her family, including extended family in and around Radford.
Thursday, February 11, 2021
The outpouring of support and positive thoughts for this salute to #BlackHistoryMonth by highlighting #radfordblackhistory has been overwhelming. With that in mind, I felt like someone who embodied support for community and a positive spirit was perfect to recognize today – Robert “Mr. Bob” Jones, Sr.
Mr. Bob took care of people in this City.
He took care of our Bobcats as he took them by the bus load to athletic and academic events and competitions. He took care of them by looking out for all and encouraging them to be their best with a smile and a joke.
Mr. Bob took care of the congregation at Central United Methodist Church for 42 years as custodian both of the facilities and of all the friends he had there. He had a wonderful sense of humor and spirit that endeared him to all.
He took care of the congregation at Zion Hill Baptist Church where he was a Deacon.
He took care of his fellow employees at Hercules (Radford Army Ammunition Plant) and the Lynchburg Foundry where he served as a supervisor.
Numerous people reached out asking that he be included in our #radfordblackhistory posts because he meant so much to them and this community. He passed in January of this year and is missed by all who knew him.
The Bobcats love Mr. Bob!