15448 Mountain Valley Road
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Last updated on March 29, 2024
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Directions from Tenth Legion Churches to site 8:
- From Tenth Legion (US-11) take Akron Rd east
- In 2 miles make left onto Mountain Valley Rd
- Site 8 is 0.6 mile on the right
This is the site of the Tunker Monument, the Arkton Brethren Church and Cemetery, and the Beasley Colored School #1. The Tunker Monument, which stands today, marks the site of the Arkton Brethren Church and Cemetery. The plaque reads: “This monument was erected in 1952 to represent the Arkton Tunker, built by the Community in 1898 and destroyed in 1943. Trustees: W. A. Martz, E. C. Fogle, D. G. Holsinger, Sec. & Treas. Lura Hillyard.”
Arkton was a small African American community. Little is known about the Arkton Brethren Church and those who lived in the Community. A 2006 cemetery survey records four burials for two adults and several children. Arkton also had a school documented by local historian William A. Good.
The Beasleys, a formerly enslaved family, made a significant impact in Arkton. In 1873, Daniel and Cindy Beasley purchased a home and several acres from Otis Moore, a white property owner. Daniel Beasley played a pivotal role in establishing the Beasley Colored School #1 in 1876, which operated for almost forty years. The school building, initially a church, was given to Daniel, who dismantled it and brought it back to Arkton by wagon. He then conveyed the building and some land to the Plains District School Broad Trustees. Early records show that the school taught a wide range of subjects, including reading, grammar, spelling, writing, arithmetic, geography, and history. As the school neared its end, students were transferred to the Lucy F. Simms School, a segregated school in Harrisonburg.
Arkton was a small African American community. Little is known about the Arkton Brethren Church and those who lived in the Community. A 2006 cemetery survey records four burials for two adults and several children. Arkton also had a school documented by local historian William A. Good.
The Beasleys, a formerly enslaved family, made a significant impact in Arkton. In 1873, Daniel and Cindy Beasley purchased a home and several acres from Otis Moore, a white property owner. Daniel Beasley played a pivotal role in establishing the Beasley Colored School #1 in 1876, which operated for almost forty years. The school building, initially a church, was given to Daniel, who dismantled it and brought it back to Arkton by wagon. He then conveyed the building and some land to the Plains District School Broad Trustees. Early records show that the school taught a wide range of subjects, including reading, grammar, spelling, writing, arithmetic, geography, and history. As the school neared its end, students were transferred to the Lucy F. Simms School, a segregated school in Harrisonburg.
