Suffolk, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Belleville Community

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Belleville Community Marker

Inscription. William Saunders Crowdy (1847-1908), who escaped enslavement during the Civil War, established the Church of God and Saints of Christ, a now predominantly African American Judaic community, in Kansas in 1896. He purchased 40 acres here in 1903 that later formed the nucleus of Belleville, which emerged in the 1920s. Expanding to more than 700 acres at its peak, this self-sufficient community featured a sacred tabernacle, farms, a school, a home for widows and orphans, stores, an electric plant, a music hall, and athletic facilities. In 1919 the site became the international headquarters of the Church of God and Saints of Christ, which has members and missions in the U.S., Jamaica, and Africa.

Erected 2023 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number K-178.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Notable Places • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1903.

Location. 36° 51.8′ N, 76° 26.298′ W. Marker is in Suffolk, Virginia. It is on Judah Lane north of Townpoint Road (Virginia Route 658), on the right when traveling

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south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4300 Judah Ln, Suffolk VA 23435, 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,

in the Tidewater,

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 States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Huntersville Rosenwald School (approx. 1.1 miles away); City of Portsmouth (approx. 2.2 miles away); John Smith Explores the Chesapeake (approx. 2.7 miles away); The Battle of Craney Island (approx. 3.1 miles away); a different marker also named Florence Graded School (approx. 4 miles away); Glebe Church

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Belleville Community Marker

(approx. 4.2 miles away); Craney Island (approx. 4.2 miles away); a different marker also named Glebe Church (approx. 4.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Suffolk.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Florence Graded School (was approx. 4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . .
1. State Historical Marker Unveiled for Suffolk Community Founded by Formerly Enslaved Man. (Submitted on April 28, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. Historical marker honors former enslaved man who founded Sulfolk community. (Submitted on April 28, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 231 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 28, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.