Manassas, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Liberty Street
In the post-Civil War years, African-Americans who were bound by a strong sense of community settled near the Brown School and the Manassas Industrial School on what was then known as Liberty Avenue. As early as 1895, African-Americans began buying tracts of land from Isaac Baldwin and building homes on Liberty Avenue and nearby Douglas Street. Carpenters, stone masons, laundresses, domestic servants, and government clerks settled here before the 1917 town ordinance that segregated housing for Manassas citizens. Non-whites were then prohibited from erecting or occupying any property bordering any of the town's avenues, streets or alleys, except west of Grant Avenue-South Lee Avenue and South Street (present day Prince William Street.) A Supreme Court decision soon overturned segregation ordinances that were widespread across the south and in northern cities.Erected 2016 by Manassas Museum System, City of Manassas.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1895.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Occupation or Liberation (within shouting distance of this marker); The Brown School (within shouting distance of this marker); Wartime Manassas (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Wartime Manassas (about 300 feet away); Site of Manassas Junction (about 300 feet away); War on the Landscape (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Wartime Manassas (about 400 feet away); Jackson's Raid (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manassas.
Additional keywords. Jim Crow, segregation
Credits. This page was last revised on March 10, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 30, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 238 times since then and 72 times this year. Last updated on March 9, 2021, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 30, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
