Gum Springs in Hybla Valley in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
West Ford
(ca. 1784 - 1863)
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 1, 2023
1. West Ford Marker
Inscription.
West Ford, born enslaved in the household of George Washington's brother John Augustine, was brought to live at Mount Vernon ca. 1802. Taught to read, write, and do arithmetic, he became a skilled carpenter and was freed at the age of 21. For more than 50 years he was a plantation manager at Mount Vernon, becoming well known in the area. Ford inherited more than 100 acres from Bushrod Washington in 1829; he sold the property and bought 214 acres here in 1833. This land became the nucleus of a vibrant free African American community that continued to expand after the Civil War. Ford, the "Father of Gum Springs" and one of the wealthiest Black men in Fairfax County, died at Mount Vernon in 1863.
West Ford, born enslaved in the household of George Washington's brother John Augustine, was brought to live at Mount Vernon ca. 1802. Taught to read, write, and do arithmetic, he became a skilled carpenter and was freed at the age of 21. For more than 50 years he was a plantation manager at Mount Vernon, becoming well known in the area. Ford inherited more than 100 acres from Bushrod Washington in 1829; he sold the property and bought 214 acres here in 1833. This land became the nucleus of a vibrant free African American community that continued to expand after the Civil War. Ford, the "Father of Gum Springs" and one of the wealthiest Black men in Fairfax County, died at Mount Vernon in 1863.
Erected 2022 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number E-160.)
Location. 38° 44.893′ N, 77° 4.942′ W. Marker is in Hybla Valley, Virginia, in Fairfax County. It is in Gum Springs. Marker is on Fordson Road just east of Richmond Highway (U.S.
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1), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7710 Fordson Road, Alexandria VA 22306, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 1, 2023
2. West Ford Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 1, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 81 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 1, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
