New Kent in New Kent County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
A River in View
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, April 26, 2025
1. A River in View Marker
In the Summer of 2020, the United States was divided on many social issues including racial justice. Large cities, Virginia's capital among them, struggled with how to remember our country's history of slavery. Cumberland Estate commissioned Harriet to memorialize her heroism. Cumberland humbly remembers its involvement with slavery and honors the lives of those who built this estate and others throughout New Kent County.
With a plantation house behind her and a river in view, Harriet sits with her back to her past while her eyes focus on the path to freedom.
Erected 2021 by Criss Cross Properties.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Civil Rights • Notable Events. A significant historical year for this entry is 2020.
Location. 37° 32.417′ N, 76° 58.618′ W. Memorial is in New Kent, Virginia, in New Kent County. It can be reached from Cumberland Road Ύ mile north of New Kent Highway (Virginia Route 249), on the right when traveling north. This marker is one of two accompanying the Harriet Tubman sculpture at Cumberland Estates. The estate
this page online
Regionally, this memorial is on Virginias Peninsula and in Coastal Virginia. 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 walking distance of this marker: Harriet Tubman (here, next to this marker); Cumberland House During the Civil War (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Earliest History of Cumberland Plantation (about 700 feet away); Camp Cumberland (about 700 feet away); Henry Armistead
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, April 26, 2025
2. Harriet Tubman Sculpture
Referenced by the marker.
More about this memorial. Photographs taken during Garden Week 2025 when the estate was open to the public.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Additional context on this sculpture can be read on the accompanying marker.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, April 26, 2025
3. Harriet Tubman Markers & Sculpture
View of the sculpture, with both accompanying markers encased in brick to the right and left of it, with the Pamunkey River in the background. The pond is man-made. The plains beyond once held Cumberland Town, which only missed becoming the capital of Virginia by three votes. The area also served as a camp for 120,000 US soldiers during George McClellan's Peninsula Campaign.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 200 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 9, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
