HomeCollections

Collections

The collections preserved on this website consist entirely of digitized materials. This is a post-custodial collection, meaning that all original materials were returned to the custody of their original owners immediately after being digitized. 

Celebrating Simms Collection: The Story of the Lucy F. Simms School

The first series in the Celebrating Simms Collection consists of approximately 450 items that were digitized to support the development and design of the 2016 Celebrating Simms exhibit. The series consists primarily of photographs and some historical documents related to the Effinger St. School (1882–1938); the Lucy F. Simms School (1938-1966); the Simms Reunion Committee (1982–Present); private family photographs documenting life in the Northeast Neighborhood of Harrisonburg, Virginia (1882–1966); and official photographs documenting Harrisonburg’s R4 Urban Renewal Project (1955–1964).

The Mary Awkard Fairfax Collection

The Mary Awkard Fairfax Collection consists of over 500 items that were digitized to support the development and design of the 2022 exhibit, Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Mary Awkard Fairfax. The series consists of photographs and some historical documents from Mary Awkard Fairfax’s personal collection and her family’s papers (1939–2012), shared with the Celebrating Simms project by Mrs. Fairfax’s niece, Mary Ann Smith-Tucker. All original materials were returned to the custody of their original owners immediately after being digitized.