Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded

The Virginia State Colony for the Epileptics and Feeble Minded was the original name of a state run institution for those considered to be “Feeble minded” or those with severe mental impairment. The colony opened in 1910 near Lynchburg, Virginia, in Madison Heights with the goal of isolating those with mental disabilities and other qualities deemed unfit for reproduction away from society. The colony was the home of Carrie Buck, the subject of the landmark Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell. The institution changed names and focus several times, and was most recently renamed in 1983 as the Central Virginia Training Center. The facility closed permanently in 2020.