WAKEFIELD – Thirteen new historical highway markers approved for manufacture by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources will highlight Presbyterian church history in the Shenandoah Valley, a Tangier Island preacher who became known as “The Parson of the Islands,” 20th century African American schools, and a 1929 roadside diner, among other topics.
Early auto history in Virginia will be recollected in Sussex County with the marker “Roadside Commerce.” It summarizes the development of State Route 52 and U.S. 460 in the 1930s. The roads linked Roanoke and Tidewater and gave rise to roadside businesses including gas stations, motels, cafes and the Virginia Diner, established in 1929 in a refurbished Surry, Sussex and Southampton Railroad car.
All 13 new markers were approved during the March quarterly meeting of the governor-appointed Board of Historic Resources of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
The Virginia highway marker program, which began in 1927 with installation of the first historical markers along U.S. Rte. 1, is considered the oldest such program in the nation. Currently there are more than 2,500 official state markers, most of which are maintained by Virginia Department of Transportation, except in those localities outside of VDOT’s authority.
A dedication ceremony will be held in the parking lot of the Virginia Diner on August 12, 2015 at 9:30AM. A small reception will follow the dedication. Members of the press are invited and encouraged to attend.
Dedication Site
Virginia Diner Restaurant
408 County Drive North
Wakefield, VA 23888
Corporate Office
Virginia Diner Inc.
322 West Main Street
Wakefield, VA 23888
Press Contact:
Scott Stephens – 757-758-7920
