Appomattox in Appomattox County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Robinson Family
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 13, 2024
1. The Robinson Family Marker
" ... to wish the Yankees would come and set us free, that is what we were all looking for and praying for."
John Robinson
Lieutenant General Grant's armies made freedom a reality for the enslaved people of Appomattox County. For John Robinson freedom meant purchasing this home in 1871. The shoemaker lived here and ran his business from his basement for over 50 years. He died in 1933 and is among those buried in the family cemetery behind this house.
Robinson was one of 30 African American members of Liberty Baptist Church granted "letters of dismission to form an African Baptist Church" that became Galilee Baptist Church, just west of Grant's headquarters. The generosity of Philadelphia Quakers Francis and Anna Cope enabled church Treasurer Robinson and other trustees to purchase the church property for one dollar in 1872. Philadelphia Quakers also funded the Freedmen's Bureau School at Galilee. Robinson's children were among the 100 male and female students enrolled by 1866.
"There were 18 children living in this house at one time, all but two of them being born here."
Robinson's daughters Fanny Stevens and
this page online
(Captions):
John Robinson's shoe last or form used for making shoes
John Robinson used this planer in his work.
A list of property owners in Appomattox County for the year 1877 shows John Robinson as owner of three and one-half acres and the buildings upon them valued at $325.
Background: Galilee Baptist Church
Erected by National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Industry & Commerce • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1871.
Location. 37° 22.65′ N, 78° 47.615′ W. Marker is in Appomattox, Virginia, in Appomattox County. It can be reached from National Park Drive north of Old Courthouse Road (Virginia Route 24), on the right when traveling north. Marker is attached to the fence on the north side of the Kelley/Robinson House on the grounds of Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 National Park Drive, Appomattox VA 24522, United States
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 13, 2024
2. The Robinson Family Marker
Marker is on the right.
Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont and in Central Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in 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: The Kelley Family (here, next to this marker); The Surrender Ceremony (within shouting distance of this marker); Final Combat (within shouting distance of this marker); Last Artillery Shots (within shouting distance of this marker); Lee and Grant Meet (about 600 feet away); Salute of Arms (about 600 feet away); Grant and Lee Meeting (about 600 feet away); "Now I see the white flag earnestly borne " (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Appomattox.
Another marker is no longer nearby. County Jail (was about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on August 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 13, 2024, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 296 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 13, 2024, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
