Preston’s commission was revoked after a year for reasons that are unclear.

He moved to Albemarle County in 1863 and served as the rector of UVa from 1864 to 1865.

Union troops under Gen. Philip Sheridan entered Charlottesville in 1864, and Preston was among three university faculty members to meet with troops and keep the army from destroying the school as part of the Union’s total war strategy.

While the troops were in town, several of Preston’s slaves fled to the Union Army.

“Preston Avenue is arguably one of the most frequently used roads in the city of Charlottesville,” Bellamy’s email said. “It is plausible to believe that many people throughout our community are not aware of the history of the man in which the Preston Avenue is named after.”

The road is among several streets, public spaces, statues and other symbols in the Charlottesville area that are tied to the Confederacy or slave owners, including those named for Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe.

Bellamy’s email offered a few suggestions for a new name for the road.