Berryville in Clarke County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Josephine City

By Linda Walcroft, July 12, 2015

1. Josephine City Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Early in the 1870's African Americans established Josephine City, a community originally composed of 31 one-acre lots lining a 16-foot-wide street. Twenty-four former slaves and free blacks purchased the lots at $100 an acre from Ellen McCormick, owner of Clermont Farm. The street and the community were probably named after a former slave at Clermont, Josephine Williams, purchaser of two lots. By 1900, Josephine City had become an oasis for the county’s African Americans and was a self-sufficient community with a school, grocery store, gas station, boarding house, restaurant, cemetery, churches, and numerous residents.

Erected 2014 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number J-19.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.

Location. 39° 8.68′ N, 77° 59.113′ W. Marker is in Berryville, Virginia, in Clarke County. Marker is on Josephine Street east of South Church Street (Virginia Route 616), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map

By Linda Walcroft, July 12, 2015

2. Josephine City Marker

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. Marker is in this post office area: Berryville VA 22611, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Berryville (approx. ¼ mile away); The Schools of Josephine City (approx. 0.3 miles away); Milton Valley Cemetery (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lucy Diggs Slowe (approx. 0.4 miles away); Benjamin Berry (approx. half a mile away); Clarke County (approx. half a mile away); Josephine School Community Museum & The African-American Experience (approx. half a mile away); Stewardship & Conservation (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berryville.

More about this marker. This replaces a 1999 marker which began "To improve the lives of former slaves, Ellen McCormick, widow of Edward McCormick of Clermont, established this African American community of 31 one-acre lots early in the 1870s."

Also see . . .
1. Clermont Farm Foundation. History of African Americans on Clermont Farm and the founding of Josephine City. (Submitted on July 22, 2015, by Linda Walcroft of Strasburg, Virginia.)

2. Old Marker at this Location. This marker replaced an older one at this location also titled “Josephine City” (Submitted on July 23, 2015.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 22, 2015, by Linda Walcroft of Strasburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 363 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 22, 2015, by Linda Walcroft of Strasburg, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.