West Springfield High School in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Estate Inventory of 16 Enslaved, December 20, 1856
Photographed by Judith Elizabeth Pearson, April 15, 2025
1. The Enslaved 16 Marker
Estate inventory of 16 enslaved, December 20, 1856:
• Charles, 17 : $1,000 • John, 20 : $1,000 • Peter, 25 : $1,000 • Henry, 25 : $1,000
• Hannah & Child, 29 : $900 • Louisa, 28 : $800 • Harriet, 28 : $800 • Daniel, 11 : $500
• Laura, 9 : $300 • Ann, 9 : $300 • Sandy, 6 : $250 • Sealy, 7 : $200
• Bill, 4 : $200 • Cora, 4 : $150 • Sally, 56 : $100In 1856, this land was a 670-acre plantation. An inventory from 1856 lists the names of these enslaved individuals, and their assigned monetary value based on their ages and genders. Some were forced to raise livestock and grow crops on the plantation while others were forced to work in the owner’s houses in Alexandria. These lives and their legacies should be remembered.
Fairfax County Student Historical Marker Project, Installed 2024.
Erected 2024 by Fairfax History Council Commission and Students of West Sprinfield High School.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
this page online
Location. 38° 47.249′ N, 77° 14.389′ W. Marker is in West Springfield, Virginia, in Fairfax County. It is in West Springfield High School. It is at the intersection of Rolling Road and Grigsby Drive, on the left when traveling north on Rolling Road. The marker is at the Rolling Road driveway entrance to West Springfield High School. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6100 Rolling Road, Springfield VA 22152, 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, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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
Photographed by Judith Elizabeth Pearson, April 21, 2025
2. The Enslaved 16 Marker
This view looks out to Rolling Road, visible in the distance on the right.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Keene’s Mill (approx. one mile away); Orange and Alexandria Railroad (approx. 1.2 miles away); Connecting Communities and Parks (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Civilian Conservation Corps (approx. 1˝ miles away); Copperthite Racetrack (approx. 1.6 miles away); Marshall Family Cemetery (approx. 1.7 miles away); Soldiers Memorial at Howrey Field Park (approx. 1.8 miles away); Burke's Station (approx. 1.8 miles away).
Other markers no longer nearby. The Orange And Alexandria Railroad Trestle (was approx. 1.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing); Orange and Alexandria RR (was approx. 1.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing); The Origins of Lake Accotink (was approx. 1.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
More about this marker. Although the marker was installed in 2024, it was unveiled in a public ceremony on April 5, 2025.
This marker is the result
Photographed by Judith Elizabeth Pearson, April 15, 2025
3. West Springfield High School Sign
This marker is at the West Springfield High School driveway entrance across from this sign. The school opened in 1966.
Also see . . .
1. Historical Marker Project Unveils Third Marker: The Enslaved 16 (Fairfax County Govt. News Center). April 7, 2025 press release. Excerpt:
Students, families, community leaders and historians gathered on Saturday, April 5, to unveil a new historical marker honoring the Enslaved 16. This dedication marks the third in a series of markers installed across Fairfax County to illuminate the African American experience and its vital role in shaping the region’s history.(Submitted on April 18, 2025.)
2. Historical Marker Unveiling & Dedication Ceremony: The “Enslaved 16” (YouTube, 2:30).
The Black/African American Historical Marker Project unveiled The Enslaved 16 marker at West Springfield High School, honoring 16 individuals. Their first names and "values" are listed in the will and estate inventory of the land on which the school now stands. Though deprived of family names, liberty, and dignity, they lived and labored here. While their personal histories remain unrecorded, their lives and legacy deserve to be remembered.(Submitted on April 18, 2025.)
Additional keywords. Slavery, Plantations
Credits. This page was last revised on November 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 15, 2025, by Judith Elizabeth Pearson of Burke, Virginia. This page has been viewed 838 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 15, 2025, by Judith Elizabeth Pearson of Burke, Virginia. 2. submitted on April 21, 2025, by Judith Elizabeth Pearson of Burke, Virginia. 3. submitted on April 15, 2025, by Judith Elizabeth Pearson of Burke, Virginia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
