Thomas Hunter School has a long and proud history, tracing its roots back nearly a century when the Mathews community, with help from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, came up with the money to build the initial four-room schoolhouse for the county’s African American youth.

Now, everybody who drives by the current Thomas Hunter Middle School will be able to read its origin story as well.

The new Virginia Department of Historic Resources historical marker for the school was unveiled at the start of Monday night’s fifth annual THMS Founder’s Day program.

Members of the Silver Leaf Masonic Lodge #177, who were instrumental in raising the money for the marker, participated in the unveiling ceremony, along with members of the Thomas Hunter School Historic Marker Committee.

The idea behind pursuing a state historical marker came about after the second Founder’s Day program in 2015, which honored the legacy of the school’s long-time principal, J. Murray Brooks.

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