People & Personalities of Edge Hill
The land on which the Edge Hill Service Station now stands was onced in the early 1900s by Thomas Calhoun Walker, a prominent African American in the community. He was the first African-American lawyer in Gloucester County and in 1888 founded the Cappahosic Academy (later known as the Gloucester Agricultural and Industrial School), one of the first African-American private schools in Virginia. HIs autobiography, The Honey Pod Tree, was published in 1958. T.C. Walker's house is located just west of here on Main Street.
J.C. "Captain Jack" Brown, proprietor of the J.C. Brown Oil Company, acquired the land in 1929 and built the service station one year later. The first station manager was C.E. King. The photo above shows Brown and King at the Edge Hill service Station with a 74-pound bonito.
Howard Brown (at center) was another familiar face at Edge Hill. He lost his hand working for the J.C. Brown Oil Company and then worked for Captain Jack at the station for many years.
Augustus "Gus" Long was a Director of Texaco, Inc. from 1950 and 1977 and served as Chief Executive Officer for ten of those years. He was also a part-time resident of Mathews County and stopped in occasionally to inspect the Edge Hill station on his way home.
[Caption:]
Young Any James, Jr. pumps gas, 1946. James was
this page online
Erected by The Fairfield Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.
Location. 37° 24.753′ N, 76° 31.216′ W. Marker is in Gloucester, Virginia, in Gloucester County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (Business U.S. 17) and John Clayton Memorial Highway (Virginia Route 3/14), on the right when traveling west on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6783 Main St, Gloucester VA 23061, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Traveling Gloucester (here, next to this marker); History of the Edge Hill Intersection (here, next to this marker); Texaco Gas Pumps, c. 1930s (here, next to this marker); Welcome to the Edge Hill Service Station (a few steps from this marker); Gloucester Downtown Historic District (a few steps from this marker); Restoration of the Edge Hill Service Station (a few steps from this marker); "Trust Your Car to the Man Who Wears the Star" (a few steps from this marker); Ware Church (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gloucester.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 27, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 149 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
