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Clarke County's African American heritage and history
are preserved and celebrated through the restoration of the Josephine
City School as a museum and cultural center. This reconstruction-era
schoolhouse serves as a powerful beacon of hope and self-determination.
For more than a hundred years,
the Josephine City School has been the cornerstone of a proud,
self-contained community situated on the outskirts of Berryville,
Virginia. The one-story, two-room frame building was originally constructed in 1882 with donations of
local labor and cash. It served as an elementary school until 1930 when it
was relocated a short distance to become part of the Clarke County
Training School. The building was used for classes until 1971. It was
placed on the Virginia and National Registers of Historic Places in 1995.
The renovation of the Josephine School Community Museum
building was completed in October 2002 with assistance from the Virginia
General Assembly and the Clarke County Board of Supervisors. The inaugural
exhibit of the museum was opened on July 12, 2003. This exhibit focuses on
black education in Clarke County from Reconstruction to Integration. The
museum is open for visitors every Sunday from 1 pm to 3pm and by
appointment.
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