Tour Lucasville School for free on weekends during Black History Month

Every weekend in February, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the old Lucasville School will be open for free tours. It is the only restored, interpreted one-room African American school remaining in Northern Virginia. It served students from 1885 to 1926. Parking is adjacent to the school, located at 10516 Godwin Drive in Manassas. The site is handicap-accessible and includes a small playground. More information is available at the Prince William Historic Preservation Division during regular business hours at 703-792-5546; the website is http://www.pwcgov.org.

Another location rich with African American history is the Ben Lomond Historic Site in Manassas which was a working plantation and then a hospital during the Civil War. Graffiti from soldiers can still be seen on the walls. Ben Lomond will host a special event Feb. 25 and 26 at its slave corridor with tours beginning at 11 a.m. Tours are every hour with the last tour beginning at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5. The site is located at 10311 Sudley Manor Drive in Manassas; the website is http://www.pwcgov.org/historicsites.

Jennie Dean Historical Site is a five-acre park in the City of Manassas, located on the original site of the Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth. The school opened in 1894 largely through the efforts of former slave Jennie Dean who was born in Prince William County. It was one of the only higher education schools for African Americans in Northern Virginia. Interpretive markers and an audio program are available at the memorial site, located at 9601 Wellington Road. More information can be found at http://www.manassascity.org .