Newport News, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Reservation

Photographed By Brandon D Cross, July 2, 2023

1. The Reservation Marker

Inscription. Free African Americans settled in this area prior to the Civil War, forming a community later known as The Reservation. The population grew as emancipated people arrived during and after the war. Residents of the self-sustained community owned farms and businesses, cultivated oysters, and built a school, fraternal halls, and three churches. Among those buried at Cheesecake Cemetery, final resting place of many community founders, is Medal of Honor recipient Edward Ratcliff, who served in the 38th U.S. Colored Troops in the Civil War. In 1918, the U.S. government used eminent domain to establish a Navy mine depot here during World War I, displacing hundreds of African American residents.

Erected 2022 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number NP-14.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Notable Places • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil • War, World I. A significant historical year for this entry is 1918.

Location. 37° 12.759′ N, 76° 34.974′ W. Marker is in Newport News, Virginia. Marker is at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue (Virginia Route 143) and Longfellow Road, on the right when traveling west on Jefferson Avenue. The marker is located in front

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of the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Newport News VA 23603, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Aviation Field Yorktown (approx. 0.6 miles away); Lebanon Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Endview (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named Endview (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named Lebanon Church (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Dairy House (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named Endview (approx. ¾ mile away); The Endview Landscape (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport News.

Also see . . . Marker revealed for ‘The Reservation,’ a historic Black community in York County. (Submitted on July 14, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Photographed By Brandon D Cross, July 2, 2023

2. The Reservation Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 14, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 192 times since then and 114 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 14, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.