Kempsville Gardens in Virginia Beach, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Willis Augustus Hodges (1815~1890)

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Willis Augustus Hodges (1815~1890) Marker

Inscription. Willis A. Hodges was born in Princess Anne County to Charles and Julia Hodges, free people of color. He moved between New York and Virginia before the Civil War and became an outspoken abolitionist, cofounding the weekly antislavery newspaper the Ram's Horn in Brooklyn in 1847. In Princess Anne after the war, he opened a school and was a Republican Party leader. The first Black man to win an election in the county, he served in the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1867-68, where he was among the most prominent of its 24 Black members and advocated racial equality. Hodges served two terms on the county Board of Supervisors and was a keeper of the Cape Henry Lighthouse.

Erected 2023 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number KV-41.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Civil Rights. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.

Location. 36° 49.607′ N, 76° 9.645′ W. Marker is in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is in Kempsville Gardens. It is at the intersection of South Witchduck Road and Stapleton Way, on the right

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when traveling south on South Witchduck Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 405 South Witchduck Road, Virginia Beach VA 23464, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads,

specifically in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

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: Skirmish at Kemp’s Landing (a few steps from this marker); Declaration of Independence Victory Dance (within shouting distance of this marker); The Skirmish Of Kempsville (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Princess Anne County Courthouse (about 600 feet away); Kempsville

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Willis Augustus Hodges (1815~1890) Marker

(about 700 feet away); In Tribute to Senator Frank Wagner / Gift of Ownership (about 700 feet away); Kempes Landing (about 700 feet away); Kempsville in the 19th Century (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Virginia Beach.

Also see . . .
1. Virginia Beach Installs Historical Marker for First Black Man Elected in Princess Anne County. (Submitted on April 26, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. Willis Augustus Hodges (1815-1890). (Submitted on April 26, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
3. Willis Augustus Hodges: Cape Henry Lighthouse’s First African American Lighthouse Keeper. (Submitted on April 26, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Willis Augustus Hodges image. Click for full size.

Public Domain

3. Willis Augustus Hodges

Credits. This page was last revised on July 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 26, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 255 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 26, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.