Near Fredericksburg in Stafford County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 17, 2021

1. Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery Marker

Inscription. This church originated in 1868 when 27 African Americans withdrew from nearby White Oak Church and selected the Rev. York Johnson, a former slave, as their pastor. Johnson founded the Union Branch of the True Vine, a mutual aid society, reportedly with the assistance of the Freedmen's Bureau. The church established a cemetery, enabling African Americans to exercise newfound autonomy over burial practices and funerals. Buried here are veterans of World Wars I and II and Korea. The church's sanctuary, built in 1870, was replaced in 1951. Here the Stafford County branch of the NAACP was founded, and community members met to plan strategies for the desegregation of local public schools.

Erected 2018 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number J-44.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Civil Rights • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1868.

Location. 38° 17.621′ N, 77° 21.438′ W. Marker is near Fredericksburg, Virginia, in Stafford County. It is on Chapel Green Road (County Road 602)

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0.2 miles south of Perry Winkle Lane, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 135 Chapel Green Rd, Fredericksburg VA 22405, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area,

in Northern Virginia,

and in the Piedmont.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church (here, next to this marker); 6th Corps Encampment (approx. 1.1 miles away); White Oak Church (approx. 1.1 miles away); White Oak Museum (approx. 1.1 miles away); Stafford County / King George County (approx. 2.4 miles away); Gen. Hooker's Headquarters

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 17, 2021

2. Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery Marker

(approx. 3½ miles away); Patawomeck People at Belle Plains (approx. 3½ miles away); Sherwood Forest (approx. 3.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 20, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 537 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 20, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.