In the late 1800’s, King William County grudgingly provided a one-room school building and teacher, but the school was closed when the 10-student minimum could not be met. The Upper Mattaponi children were either educated with the Pamunkey or went without schooling until the Sharon Indian School was built in 1917.
Eventually, the Tribe used donated lumber to add a lunchroom and kitchen to the school. The kitchen was staffed by the Tribe’s adults.
The county replaced the original building with an eight-room brick structure in 1952. That building stands today as the only Indian school building in the state of Virginia. The school continued operations until it was closed by integration measures in the 1960’s. The building remained off-limits until the state returned it to the Tribe in 1987 and it now serves as the Tribal Center.
3 Comments
Can you please give me some directions to the Sharon Indian School? I would like to attend the Dec 12 ceremony. I am coming from Richmond.
I am a professional oral historian with very good credentials. I would like to contact the indiviudal whois coordinating your oral history work to offer my help. Please contact me. Telephone 804-353-1711.
Betsy Brinson, PH.D.
I am trying to get some information regarding my father. I was always told that we had Mattaponi Indian in our blood lines. I was wondering how to I verfy this. He passed away 2 years ago and I am trying to carry on his legacy. If you could give me any information. His name was John Beverly Smith. He lived in Tappahannock,VA. His father was John Louis Smith and his mother was Estelle Sparks(Mattaponi Indian I believe). Thank you for any information that is available. Michele
I am married to the son of MCcauley Dungee in Michigan, Mr. Dungee attended the indian school untill the 7th grade. We have proof of him and his parents being American Indian’s. My husband is half and we are thinking our daughter is 1/4 Indian. We are looking in to things as she will be going to college in the year 2013 – 2014. We are trying to get help with tution. Is there any thing or anyone that could help with this?
Thank You,
Deborah Dungee