Frank S. Walker, Jr. Historic Preservation Award

The Society presented its inaugural Frank S. Walker, Jr. Historic Preservation Award to Frank Walker who has made an outstanding contribution to local history/preservation in Orange County.

Frank Walker, Jr.

Frank Stringfellow Walker, Jr. has been immersed in local history ever since he was born. He grew up on a farm that had been in his family since the 18th century. His grandfather rode with Mosby’s Rangers during the Civil War and later, with his wife, founded Woodberry Forest School.

The fact that his own parents were not particularly interested in history only piqued his curiosity, a curiosity that Frank was unable to fully satisfy until he realized there was no future in dairy farming. He sold Rosni and the award-winning herd; and, at the tender age of 43, decided to become a lawyer.

Although Rosni was technically located in Madison County, Frank looked just across the Rapidan River to Orange as his hometown. He also noticed that, in his words, “Orange County had a wider variety of history.” He created a series of historical tour outlines to demonstrate that variety. When former historical society president, Joe Rowe issued a challenge for someone to write a new history of Orange County, Frank rose to the occasion. “I decided someone needed to preach the gospel of Orange County history,” he says.

His tour outlines served as the skeleton of his book Remembering: A History of Orange County, Virginia. Highly readable, entertaining, and, in places, even humorous, the book, published in 2004, proves that history does not have to be plodding, pedantic and dull; it can be lively, fascinating even baffling instead.

Frank has gone on to write two more books; this despite the fact that he has been plagued all his life by a gradually worsening hereditary eye condition that has left him essentially blind. Yet, he credits that eye condition for helping him develop his legendary memory. As he terms it, “I learned how to teach myself.”

Crediting his lifelong partner and wife Bernice, and his two daughters for their unwavering support, Frank will soon enter his ninth decade, still a scholar of history, a raconteur of local lore and a passionate supporter of the Orange County Historical Society. It is only appropriate that this award be named after him and he be the inaugural recipient of the award that bears his name.