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Christiansburg Institute, Incorporated
Founded in 1996, the mission of Christiansburg Institute, Inc. (CII) is to promote and preserve its unique place in the history of African American education in ways which will exemplify its legacies of educational achievement and lifelong educational opportunity. Central to its mission is the restoration of the Christiansburg Institute campus to include the Smokehouse Museum, the Shop building, a Memorial Garden, the Principals' Cemetery and the renovation of the historic landmark Edgar A. Long building.
The Christiansburg Institute campus in the mid 1930s included 185 acres. The Edgar A. Long building, currently under restoration, can be seen in the clearing on the near right. From left to right: barn, shop, boys' dormitory, classroom building (Long building), and Baily-Morris Hall which housed the administration offices, library, assembly hall, and girls' dormitory. Photograph courtesy of Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Focusing on the preservation and exhibition of our history, we've initiated an archive and museum. Fostering continued education, we plan an inter-generational learning center. Creating sustainable community, we focus on community building.
Christiansburg Institute milestones
Current collaborations have been made with community organizations characterized by mutual goals, racial diversity, intergenerational participation and demonstrable productivity. To date we have reached a number of significant milestones through these collaborations.
- Receiving a Congressional appropriation of $300,000 to begin the restoration of the Edgar A Long Building.
- Designating the Edgar A. Long Building as a Virginia historic landmark and its subsequent placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Donating of two buildings, the principals' cemetery, and nearly four acres of land by Jack Via, a local businessman and Christiansburg resident.
- Recovering the 100-year history of the Institute through the traveling exhibit, A "Century of Contribution: Christiansburg Institute and Educational Change in Virginia."
- Receiving proclamations of support from local government units which, historically, comprise the secondary school region served by the institute: Montgomery and Pulaski counties and the City of Radford, as well as the NRV Planning District Commission and the Montgomery County School Board.
- Receiving four grants from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy.
- Receiving grant awards from two New River Valley foundations, the C.E. Richardson Foundation and the Community Foundation of the New River Valley, as well as from the First National Bank.
- Initiating a partnership between CI and the Special Collections of Virginia Tech Libraries to build a significant collection by both partners while maintaining individual identity and property rights.
- Ongoing building fund drive to restore the Edgar A. Long Building.
CII BOARD OF DIRECTORS
 Tyrone Alexander Felix Amenkhienan Nathaniel Bishop Anne Brinckman Elaine Dowe Carter Trae Cotton Jacqueline Eaves Susan Gooden Robert Leonard Mary Smith Mills Steve Smith Gladys Sokolow Fred Thomas Evelyn Young
Virtual CI is the official website of Christiansburg Institute, Inc. In this digital age we are able to embrace this opportunity to "reopen" the institute online while our actual campus restoration is underway. Site development and design by curator Anna Fariello, web construction by S. Clay Rogers, webmaster Glen Holmes, with valuable contributions by James Harman and the many supporters of CII. Unless otherwise noted, the photographs displayed on this site are from the Christiansburg Institute Archive.
All material contained in this website © 2001 by Christiansburg Institute, Inc.
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