Near Alexandria in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Woodlawn Methodist Church

Photographed by Allen C. Browne, March 17, 2019

1. Woodlawn Methodist Church Marker

Inscription. African Americans in Woodlawn, four miles southwest of here, established Woodlawn Methodist Episcopal Church ca. 1866. The Woodlawn area, formerly part of George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, was home to African Americans who had been free landowners before the Civil War, people recently emancipated from slavery, and northern Quakers who had arrived In the 1840s. The Methodist church, built on land purchased from Quakers, housed a Freedmen's Bureau school that became a public school by 1871. The congregation established a cemetery and in 1888 built a new sanctuary. When Fort Belvoir expanded during World War II, the church moved here to the historically black community of Gum Springs.

Erected 2017 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number E-146.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Quakerism, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists.

Location. 38° 44.829′ N, 77° 4.898′ W. Marker is near

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Alexandria, Virginia, in Fairfax County. It is on Fordson Road, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7730 Fordson Road, Alexandria VA 22306, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area

and in Northern Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (a few steps from this marker); West Ford (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Gum Springs (about 600 feet away); Hybla Valley Airport (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bethlehem Baptist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); a different

Photographed by Allen C. Browne, March 17, 2019

2. Woodlawn Methodist Church Marker

marker also named Gum Springs (approx. ¼ mile away); US Route 1 Wall of Aviation (approx. half a mile away); Peake Family Cemetery (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alexandria.

St. John Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Allen C. Browne, March 17, 2019

3. St. John Baptist Church

In January 2014, St. John Baptist Church moved to this building that formerly housed Woodlawn Methodist Church.

Photographed by Allen C. Browne, March 17, 2019

4. Cornerstone

Methodist Church
Erected
1866-1888-1941

Photographed by Allen C. Browne, March 17, 2019

5. St. John Baptist Church

Historic Home of
Woodlawn/Faith
United Methodist
Church

Credits. This page was last revised on January 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 18, 2019, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,489 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 18, 2019, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.