Hometown Histories:
William Lee Frye, Sr.
Our second “Hometown Histories” profile features Mr. William Lee Frye, Sr., a lifelong resident of the Shelby area of Madison County. William inspires us with his love of family and his hometown roots, as well as his admirable work ethic and craftsmanship skills! We also learned that Mr. Frye is a master storyteller, and can entertain for hours!
MCAAHA founder Nancy Garnett Williams met with William recently to learn more about his life, family, work, and his love of Madison County.
William Frye, Sr., has lived his entire life in the Shelby area of Madison County.
William is proud of his Madison heritage and loves to share stories of local lore.
William Lee Frye, Sr., was born March 6, 1935, in the Shelby area of Madison County, Virginia. He was the sixth child of eight born to his parents, Sadie Beck Frye and Linwood Frye.
The Frye family attended Elk Run church in Shelby where his mother Sadie served as the usher for many years. William began school at Midway School, located just off Route 29 in Shelby. He later attended the Wolftown School and Madison School. William and the other children from the neighborhood had to walk to school and once they arrived the students had to make a fire to keep them warm if it were during the winter. They also brought in a bucket of drinking water.
William then attended Radiant School along the George James Loop, when transportation was finally provided to African American students. Segregation prevented Black children living in Orange, Madison, Rappahannock, and Culpeper from attending the local high schools. Consequently, with the opening of the George Washington Carver Regional High School in 1948, students traveled many miles to receive their education, often returning home late in the dark and still having chores to complete for their households.
While attending Carver, William met Eleanor Russell Jameson of Culpeper in 1950. They both agreed they were not interested in one another at that time. The couple began dating much later when they met again at the Flatwood Inn, a popular dance hall near Sperryville, Virginia. They were married in 1956 and together they built their home and raised four children, Kim, Perrie, Cynthia, and William, Jr. (Billy) in Shelby, near William’s parents’ home.
William and Eleanor continue to reside in the home they built in Shelby, and amazingly, his parents’ and grandparents’ homes still exist there as well. He owns the home of his grandparents, Dora Holmes Beck and Lee Beck. Lee and Dora hired Joe Frazier to build their home in 1889. His parents’ home, which is next door, was built in 1900 and is now owned by William’s niece, Dr. Patrica Frye. William and his family have continued to send a strong message of family pride and love in holding onto the family properties.
William was a master bricklayer. He worked for the Robert E. Lee Construction Company for many years, and took part in building many of the large brick buildings in Charlottesville. He recalls working on the large downtown mall project, where many bricks were laid to create the beautiful walking area. The people who worked on the project were given a brick as a memento. In the local area if anyone required masonry work, they would call “William Frye.” He completed the brick work on his beautiful brick home in Shelby.
William loves spending time with family and friends and spinning colorful tales of the present and past. He can hold court for hours and everyone is fully engaged. He also spends time in his workshop where he designs and carves wood. The Madison County African American Historical Association (MCAAHA) has on display his beautiful pine matchbox. He spends many hours designing and creating beautiful and sometimes comical things in his shop.
Thank you, William, for sharing your beautiful story and being our March Hometown History profile, and Happy Birthday!
William’s formal education began at the Midway and Wolftown Schools. He then attended the Radiant School (above).
William attended George Washington Carver Regional High School (above, center) during the 1950s. His family attended Elk Run Church in Shelby, where his mother Sadie Frye served as the usher for many years (immediately above).
William’s grandparents, Dora Holmes Beck and Lee Beck, built this home in Shelby in 1889. William and Eleanor still own this property.
William grew up in this home in Shelby, built in 1889. He and his wife Eleanor built their own home next door.
Sadie and Linwood Frye – William’s parents.
Lee Beck, William’s maternal grandfather.
Dora Holmes Beck, William’s maternal grandmother.
William and Eleanor were married in 1956. They raised four children together.
A master bricklayer, William built his own family home in Shelby (above), where he and Eleanor continue to live. During his masonry career, he helped build the brick walking area on the downtown mall in Charlottesville. This brick is a memento from that important civic project.
William’s talents also include woodworking. His beautiful pine match box is on display at the MCAAHA headquarters and museum.
Among his many projects, William has created beautiful wind chimes.