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.

Erected 2022 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number E-160.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1802.

Location. 38° 44.893′ N, 77° 4.942′ W. Marker is in Hybla Valley, Virginia, in Fairfax County. It is in Gum Springs. It is on Fordson Road just east of Richmond Highway (U.S. 1),

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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.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area

and in Northern Virginia.

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 walking distance of this marker: Gum Springs (within shouting distance of this marker); Woodlawn Methodist Church (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (about 500 feet away); Hybla Valley Airport (about 700 feet away); Bethlehem Baptist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Gum Springs (approx. 0.3 miles away); US Route 1 Wall of Aviation (approx. half a mile away); Peake Family Cemetery (approx. 0.8 miles away).

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 473 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 1, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.