Historian John Kern dies

We are saddened at the death of historian John Kern, a long-time supporter and former board member of the Historical Society of Western Virginia. Kern was a leader in placing area landmarks on state and national registries.
Kern died Sunday, March 18, in Abingdon. He was in the area attending the Virginia Forum on local history and regional identity at Emory & Henry College and presented a paper at the forum on Friday. His paper, “Land Use Research, National Registration of Farmville First Baptist Church, and Rev. L. Francis Griffin’s Campaign for Racial Equality in Prince Edward County, 1951-1967,” reflected his longtime interest in black history. He taught black history at Hollins University until 2008.
Kern retired in 2010 as regional director for Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources, where he served more than 20 years. Among his accomplishments was the successful nomination of the Historic Gainsboro District to the National Register of Historic Places, which provides safeguards and tax benefits for the Roanoke neighborhood.