STAFF REPORT

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The Heart of Danville has announced the release of its “Forgotten Landmarks” brochure – a driving tour of African American sites in Boyle County.

The county is home to a rich African American history that expands beyond the Second Street Business District. The driving tour is a collaborative effort between the Heart of Danville, Centre College and the Danville-Boyle County African American Historical Society to share the history of the African American communities and landmarks in Boyle County.

At a recent HOD meeting, board member Beth Morgan, who also worked on the project said, “Centre students did a really fabulous job. It’s a beautiful brochure.”

She said once the research was complete, they realized there was too much information to be contained in a standard-size brochure. So project leaders decided the brochure would feature information and photos of a few selected sites and a simple map showing all of the listed sites and where to find them.

Detailed driving instructions and more information about every site can be viewed and downloaded from the HOD website at www.downtowndanville.com/tours

“Many people know Danville and Boyle County for our history – Ephraim McDowell, Perryville Battlefield, the lists of Firsts,” said Nick Wade, director of the Heart of Danville. “However, many people are not familiar with how deep our African American history goes.”

 

“All locations are places we think visitors and community members should visit,” Wade said. “I think it’s important for community members and visitors to learn about the history right in front of them, that they may not realize is there.”

Fifty-five locations were selected for the brochure — everything from entire communities, known as “freetowns,” to churches and cemeteries, as well as private residences of historic significance.

The entire driving tour takes about four to four and a half hours to complete, Morgan said.

“Boyle County has a great story to tell, beyond what everyone knows,” Wade said. “The driving tour gives people the opportunity to explore that history.”

SO YOU KNOW

Explorers can plan their journey at Grayson’s Tavern, located at Constitution Square, where brochures are available. The brochure highlights 19 of the 55 locations. For complete driving tour directions and information on all 55 sites, explorers can visit downtowndanville.com/tours.