Preservation Virginia's Blog

Preservation Virginia is undertaking a project to help raise awareness and protect tobacco barns in Southside Virginia. As part of the project, Preservation Virginia recently held a poster contest for Pittsylvania County Middle School students to help raise awareness on the importance of protecting the barns and the agricultural heritage of the region.

The theme of the poster contest was “Preserve Our Barns So They Are More Than A Memory.”  Sixty-eight posters were entered into the contest. The posters were judged by local artists on the creativity and originality of the artwork and on how effectively the contest theme was presented. 

1st Place Poster by Casey Sparks

The winners received ribbons and gift certificates. Casey Sparks, from Dan River Middle School was the first place winner and Cayla Keen, also from Dan River Middle School, was the second place winner. The third place winner was Autumn Womack from Gretna Middle School. Jordan Paquette, Kaitlyn Carter and Kaden Lewis from Chatham Middle School received honorable mentions.

The first place poster will be reproduced and displayed in various locations across the region. All of the posters will be displayed at an upcoming workshop this fall for the barns project. The survey portion of the project will also begin this fall.

For more information on the tobacco barns project or the poster contest, contact Sonja Ingram, Field Representative at 434-770-1209.