Places tagged "free blacks": 40
Places
Waterford Community
Historical Significance
The town of Waterford, Virginia was a place of refuge for African Americans for over 200 years. Waterford was founded in the 1730's by Northern Abolitionist Quakers who were soon outnumbered in the community by other…
Third Baptist Church
Historical Significance
After Nat Turner's rebellion in 1831, Virginia passed laws to prevent the religious gatherings of enslaved and free blacks without the supervision of white persons. In 1841, under the control of their white patrons, a group…
The Washington House (formerly known as Fincastle Sterrett's Ordinary)
Historical Significance
Fincastle Sterrett purchased what is now known as the Washington House in 1817. Sterrett was enslaved by William King, a merchant, and was later purchased from his estate by a relative of King's, Charles Carson. Carson,…
The Tavern
Historical Significance
The Tavern, the oldest of Abingdon's historic buildings and one of the oldest buildings west of the Blue Ridge, was built in 1779 as a tavern and overnight inn for stage coach travelers. From 1858 to 1965, the Tavern remained…
The Heights Historic Community
Historical Significance
The Heights, earlier known as Delectable Heights, received its name in the early 19th century when it was contrasted with the unhealthy lowlands of the city of Petersburg. It was annexed to the city in 1816, and although lots…
Dismal Swamp
Historical Significance
The Dismal Swamp lies thirty miles west of the Atlantic Ocean, between the James River in southeastern Virginia near Norfolk and the Albemarle Sound near Edenton, North Carolina. To eighteenth century colonists it was the…
Stanton Family Cemetery
Historical Significance
Started in 1853, the Stanton family cemetery in rural Buckingham County is one of the state's few surviving burying grounds established by free blacks before the Civil War and held by the same family to the present. The…
Site of 17th Century Estate of Anthony and Mary Johnson
Historical Significance
In 1640, five years after being freed from slavery himself, Anthony Johnson (born in Angola, Africa), acquired a black slave named John Casar (sometimes Casor or Gesorroro). In 1648, Johnson, who had come to the Eastern Shore…
Robinson House: Manassas National Battlefield Park
Historical Significance
During the second Battle of Bull Run, the Robinson House served as a shelter and hospital for wounded Union soldiers. The house belonged to James Robinson, an African American born free in 1799, who became a prosperous farmer…
Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church / Davis Chapel
Historical Significance
Davis Chapel, now Roberts Memorial United Church, provided a safe haven for free and enslaved blacks during a period of growing racial tension in the predominantly white Methodist Episcopal church. The spiritual home of many…