Sappony Indian Tribe to be Featured on N.C. Highway Historical Marker

An American Indian tribe linked to a settlement primarily in the northern Piedmont region straddling Person County, N.C., and Halifax County, Va., soon will be recognized with a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker.

The marker commemorating the Sappony Tribe of North Carolina will be dedicated during a ceremony Aug. 31 at 10 a.m., at the Sappony Tribal Center (4218 Virgilina Rd., Virgilina, Va.).

The Sappony received legislative recognition from the state of North Carolina in 1911. In 2003, the tribe legislatively changed its name from the state-designated label of "Indians of Person County" to "Sappony" to more accurately reflect its historic heritage.

In the 1600s, Sappony Indians lived in various locations in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. In the early 1700s, they moved close to the Yadkin River and other North Carolina locations to avoid Iroquoian enemy attacks. They, along with the Occaneechi and other tribes, then had a presence on islands at the junction of the Staunton and Dan rivers near present-day Clarksville, Va., and at Virginia's Fort Christanna through the early 1700s. In the mid-1700s, they settled in their current location straddling the border of Person County, N.C., and Halifax County, Va., Ned Bearskin, a Sappony man, helped draw this very borderline in 1728 with a colonial surveying party.

Person County Schools created and began funding 'District 0', the Indian school, in 1887 for Sappony students living in both Person County, NC and Halifax County, Va. In 1904, a new Indian school was built on land donated by tribal community members Ditrion and Mary Epps. By 1909, Halifax County, Va., and Person County, N.C., shared funding for the Indian school as Sappony students lived in both states. In 1925, the Sappony built the final iteration High Plains Indian School in Person County, N.C. The school accommodated all grades through twelfth with the first graduating seniors of 1952. By 1958, the school had expanded to six rooms. The school was closed in 1962. The school, in addition to the church, was a source of social connection, interaction, and ties for the Sappony community.

The Sappony church, historically one of the most important institutions of the tribe, began as meeting houses on the Virginia side of the community, then Mayo Chapel, also on the Virginia side. The church expanded and relocated to Person County, N.C. with the 1946 building of the current Calvary Baptist Church.

The marker is one of nine markers being dedicated in 2024 that highlight American Indian culture and history in North Carolina. Historical markers were approved for the Coharie, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi, Sappony, and Waccamaw Siouan tribes. In addition, historical markers were approved for the site of the East Carolina Indian School and the Buie Mound site. The N.C. American Indian Heritage Commission staff worked closely with N.C. tribes to complete applications to be considered for the historical marker program.

For more information about the historical markers, please visit
https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2023/12/21/sappony-tribe-g-143, or call (919) 814-6625.

The Highway Historical Marker Program is a collaboration between the N.C. departments of Natural and Cultural Resources and Transportation.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina - its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.