Near Martinsburg in Berkeley County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

The Lynching of Joe Burns

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 1, 2025

1. The Lynching of Joe Burns Marker

Inscription. In the early hours of February 19, 1886, a mob of White men removed Joe Burns from the cellar of the local jailer. Mr. Burns, a Black man, was accused but never tried for assaulting a White woman. The vigilantes taunted, mutilated, and hanged Mr. Burns from a tree until he was dead. Newspapers claimed the murder was justified, and no one in the mob was charged for the crime.

Erected 2021 by NAACP Branch 3242; West Virginia Archives & History.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Law Enforcement. In addition, it is included in the West Virginia Archives and History series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 19, 1886.

Location. 39° 25.902′ N, 77° 59.179′ W. Marker is near Martinsburg, West Virginia, in Berkeley County. It is on Winchester Avenue (U.S. 11) south of Meteor Drive, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1911 Winchester Ave, Martinsburg WV 25405, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Eastern Panhandle.

It is also in

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the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. 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

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fort Evans (approx. 0.4 miles away); Pack Horse Road (approx. 0.9 miles away); Major General Adam Stephen (approx. 1.7 miles away); Continental Clay Brick Works (approx. 1.7 miles away); Charles Faulkner (approx. 1.7 miles away); Boydville (approx. 1.7 miles away); Old Berkeley County Jail (approx. 1.8 miles away); Norbourne Parish Cemetery (approx. 1.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Martinsburg.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 1, 2025

2. The Lynching of Joe Burns Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 1, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 474 times since then and 109 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 1, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on April 2, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.