231 E Johnson Street
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Last updated on July 3, 2025
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Directions from Dallard-Newman House to site 19:
- Turn left onto Myrtle St
- Make a right onto E Johnson St
- In 800 feet site 20 is on the right
This house is the former home of Lucy Frances Simms. Lucy was born into slavery in 1855-56 to an enslaved mother, Jane Simms, under the Gray Family. The birthplace of Lucy is unclear, for the Grays owned property in Harrisonburg and Roanoke County in the 1850s and were slaveholders. Lucy was raised on the Hilltop Plantation in Harrisonburg, Virginia, which is the same parcel of land as the school named in her honor. Little is known of Lucy's early education. It is likely that after emancipation, she attended a small African American school in the area. Lucy later enrolled in Hampton Institute from 1874 to 1877 and received training to become a public school teacher. She was awarded a "First Grade Certificate" for her teaching qualifications. After graduation, Simms returned to Rockingham County to become one of the county's earliest African American educators. In 1877, Simms taught at the Long's Chapel and later taught at Athens Colored School in the small African American community of Zenda.
Lucy moved to Harrisonburg and taught at a mission school for black students in the basement of Harrisonburg Catholic Church. In 1883, Lucy began teaching first- and second-grade students at Effinger Street School. Lucy taught at Effinger alongside her half-brother Ulysses Grant "U.G." Wilson. Lucy was dedicated to her school and students. She was appointed the president of the Colored Teacher's Association in 1914 and served as acting principal and assistant principal when needed. Her character shined through her career, hard work, and leadership roles. Lucy taught with the sternness and care of a mother, touching the lives of those she encountered. She encouraged and supported her students in achieving their dreams. She taught over 1,800 students across three generations of families. Lucy was an active member of her community outside the classroom. Lucy was a Sunday School teacher at John Wesley Methodist Church. She was a committee member of the "Colored Division" of the United War Work campaign during World War I.
At age 70, Lucy F. Simms was honored by Harrisonburg citizens for her 56 years of services as an educator in 1926. Unexpectedly, after five decades of teaching, the beloved educator passed away on July 10, 1934, at the age of 72, in her home on East Johnson Street. School Superintendent William H. Keister said Lucy F. Simms never missed a day of school during her 55 years of teaching in Harrisonburg. Members of the school board served as honorary pallbearers at her funeral, a measure of her central role in African American education in Harrisonburg. Lucy F. Simms lays to rest in the Newtown Cemetery, a street over from the former Lucy F. Simms School.
For the first time in 2008, the annual Lucy F. Simms Educator of the Year Award was given to honor a teacher in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County Schools. The Library of Virginia named Lucy F. Simms as a “Trailblazer” in 2011. In 2015, a mural of Lucy was painted on the side of the Elizabeth Street Parking Deck. In 2017, Lucy F. Simms was one of ten selected Virginians on the Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument in Richmond, Virginia. The Lucy F. Simms historical marker was erected in 2021 in front of Lucy F. Simms School.
Lucy moved to Harrisonburg and taught at a mission school for black students in the basement of Harrisonburg Catholic Church. In 1883, Lucy began teaching first- and second-grade students at Effinger Street School. Lucy taught at Effinger alongside her half-brother Ulysses Grant "U.G." Wilson. Lucy was dedicated to her school and students. She was appointed the president of the Colored Teacher's Association in 1914 and served as acting principal and assistant principal when needed. Her character shined through her career, hard work, and leadership roles. Lucy taught with the sternness and care of a mother, touching the lives of those she encountered. She encouraged and supported her students in achieving their dreams. She taught over 1,800 students across three generations of families. Lucy was an active member of her community outside the classroom. Lucy was a Sunday School teacher at John Wesley Methodist Church. She was a committee member of the "Colored Division" of the United War Work campaign during World War I.
At age 70, Lucy F. Simms was honored by Harrisonburg citizens for her 56 years of services as an educator in 1926. Unexpectedly, after five decades of teaching, the beloved educator passed away on July 10, 1934, at the age of 72, in her home on East Johnson Street. School Superintendent William H. Keister said Lucy F. Simms never missed a day of school during her 55 years of teaching in Harrisonburg. Members of the school board served as honorary pallbearers at her funeral, a measure of her central role in African American education in Harrisonburg. Lucy F. Simms lays to rest in the Newtown Cemetery, a street over from the former Lucy F. Simms School.
For the first time in 2008, the annual Lucy F. Simms Educator of the Year Award was given to honor a teacher in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County Schools. The Library of Virginia named Lucy F. Simms as a “Trailblazer” in 2011. In 2015, a mural of Lucy was painted on the side of the Elizabeth Street Parking Deck. In 2017, Lucy F. Simms was one of ten selected Virginians on the Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument in Richmond, Virginia. The Lucy F. Simms historical marker was erected in 2021 in front of Lucy F. Simms School.
