The Watkins-Abbitt Federal Building

Watkins Abbitt Federal Building

This building was named after Watkins M. Abbitt, who served in the House of Representatives from 1949 - 1973. He advocated for the segregation of schools in Farmville, Virginia in the Civil Rights Era. Fortunately, he changed his views later on in the ‘80s, when he showed his support for the first African American governor, L. Douglas Wilder, in 1989.

The Federal Building was built in the Classical Revival Style in 1917. It is listed on the National Register for Historic Places. The building was given its name after Public Law 92-520 authorized the naming of a number of Federal Buildings around the country in 1972.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/15/us/w-m-abbitt-90-lawmaker-who-advocated-segregation.html

https://books.google.com/books?id=5kzYLj1y_AYC&pg=RA5-PA80&lpg=RA5-PA80&dq=watkins+abbitt+federal+building+farmville+virginia&source=bl&ots=slsB6WQ8HG&sig=ACfU3U1pvp433OD0IVdbY2odbSr5HKCPKA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjIjszJoJfmAhWDmVkKHcq-A1UQ6AEwBnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=watkins%20abbitt%20federal%20building%20farmville%20virginia&f=false