Near Alexandria in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Gum Springs
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 12, 2022
1. Gum Springs Marker
Inscription.
Gum Springs, an African-American community, originated here on a 214-acre farm bought in 1833 by West Ford (ca. 1785-1863), a freed man, skilled carpenter, and manager of the Mount Vernon estate. The freedman's school begun here in 1867 at Bethlehem Baptist Church encouraged black settlement. In 1890 the Rev. Samuel K. Taylor, William Belfield, Lovelace Brown, Hamilton Gray, Robert D. King, Henry Randall, and Nathan Webb formed the joint Stock Company of Gum Springs and sold lots. Gum Springs has remained a vigorous black community.
Gum Springs, an African-American community, originated here on a 214-acre farm bought in 1833 by West Ford (ca. 1785-1863), a freed man, skilled carpenter, and manager of the Mount Vernon estate. The freedman's school begun here in 1867 at Bethlehem Baptist Church encouraged black settlement. In 1890 the Rev. Samuel K. Taylor, William Belfield, Lovelace Brown, Hamilton Gray, Robert D. King, Henry Randall, and Nathan Webb formed the joint Stock Company of Gum Springs and sold lots. Gum Springs has remained a vigorous black community.
Erected 1991 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number E-94_2.)
Location. 38° 44.621′ N, 77° 4.841′ W. Marker is near Alexandria, Virginia, in Fairfax County. Marker is at the intersection of Sherwood Hall Lane (Virginia Route 626) and Fordson Road, on the right when traveling west on Sherwood Hall Lane. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2808 Sherwood Hall Ln, Alexandria VA 22306, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. An identical marker stands several blocks away. The web site for Virginia Department of Historic Resources designates the other marker as E-94_1 and this marker as E-94_2, although the markers themselves both read E-94.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 12, 2022
2. Gum Springs Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 127 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 12, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
