Revitalize Sumner School of Parkersburg, WV
The Colored School of Parkersburg, Virginia was the first school established in 1862 and granted the right to freely educate Blacks in what were the confederate states. It was the first Black school established, south of the Mason-Dixon Line, that had authorization given directly by President Abraham Lincoln, to one of its founders, a Black man named Robert Simmons, after a historic horseback ride to meet with him in Washington, D.C. 
The institution became a landmark in the history of education, becoming the first public school of it’s kind anywhere in the south.
The Colored School of Parkersburg’s historical significance is centered around the fact that it was established in the State of Virginia, predating West Virginia’s statehood.
The name changed in honor of U.S. Senator Charles Sumner, R-Mass., who was attacked and caned in 1856, because of Sumner’s anti-slavery views.
In 1866, Sumner School was officially recognized as a school with the Wood County School System.
The Sumnerite Association was formed in 1986 by Alumna Rae Browne, and incorporated as a non-profit in 1988. The Sumnerite Association’s permanent home is what now remains of the Sumner School structure.
This fundraiser is to support and revitalize the the Sumner School structure. The total cost for repairs is costly, estimating $2.5 - 3.0 million. We need to start somewhere to preserve the Sumner legacy and establish a functional community resource center for the residents in the immediate area and throughout the greater Mid-Ohio Valley region. Our time is now.
The historical legacy of the Sumner School of Parkersburg, it’s storied alum and it’s rich history within the Parkersburg community, West Virginia state and National history cannot be forgotten.
