The city’s most famous movie star received another curtain call on Saturday as dignitaries and fans gathered to dedicate a new historical marker honoring Petersburg native Joseph Cotten.
The marker stands on the grounds of the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology on West Washington Street, which was the then-new Petersburg High School when Cotten attended it around 1920. He didn’t graduate – he was more interested in theater and sports than academics – but the building honors Petersburg’s most famous dropout by giving his name to its Joseph Cotten Stage.