THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 2, 1997 TAG: 9701300036
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEPHEN HARRIMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSTONE LENGTH: 41 lines
ONCE, A long, long time ago and for quite a long time, the little settlement here in Nottoway County in Virginia's Southside was called Blacks and Whites for the two rival tavern keepers who catered to the needs of locals and passers-by.
One tavern was operated by a man named John A. Schwartz (which is German for black) and the other by a man named White.
Schwartz died in 1807, but the tavern remained in operation until at least 1850. The property changed hands a number of times and eventually became the home of the Gilliam Anderson family, who donated the property to the town.
The Schwartz Tavern has been fully restored and is open every day in the summer from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Blackstone Chamber of Commerce has its office in the tavern. Office hours are 9 a.m. to noon, Monday-Friday.
Gradually the community grew to a town of some significance, partly because it was a stop on the old Norfolk and Western Railroad. About 1885 the name was changed to the more dignified Blackstone; in 1888 it was incorporated.
Some say the present name came from the Schwartz-Black connection, but there are few stones around here - mostly just red clay. Others claim it was named in honor of Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780), one of England's most famous jurists. If the latter is the case, they certainly took a long time honoring him.
Blackstone, the man, did have a significant impact on the life of English-speaking people. His ``Commentaries,'' published between 1765 and 1769, became the basis of university legal education in England and North America.
Nearby Camp Pickett, now Fort Pickett, likewise had a significant impact on Blackstone, the town. Named in honor of Confederate Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett, the military reservation was dedicated in 1942 to the cause of a ``reunited nation at war.''
The 46,000-acre installation was home during World War II to eight combat divisions, seven infantry and one armor, in preparation for their service in both the European and Pacific theaters. The post was redesignated a fort and became a full-time training facility in 1974.