Woodbridge in Prince William County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Stones, but No Bones
Rippon Lodge
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 29, 2019
Martin Scarlit, Gent
Two large stones are displayed on the left side of the path. One once marked the grave of Martin Scarlit, who died in 1695. The carving on the second stone is long eroded. In the early 1900s, these stones were pulled from the Occoquan River and placed in a grove of trees at the wildlife refuge at Occoquan Bay. Both stones were moved to Rippon Lodge in 2005.
Mismarked Graves
When Judge Wade Ellis owned Rippon Lodge, he preserved the cemetery. He stood blank slate markers where ground contours resembled graves. While burials likely exist in these areas, their presence has not been verified.
Unmarked Graves
Other Blackburns and Atkinsons are probably buried here, but the locations of their graves are not known. While enslaved people may be buried here, their graves are more likely in separate and unidentified cemetery.
In memory of Rose Peters
Who departed This Life the 10th
of September 16 (49/79)
She is gone, O she is gone,
to everlasting rest,
To Christ our Blessed Savior
who loved sinners best.
Aside from what is carved on her gravestones, nothing is known about Rose Peters. She died in 1649 or 1679 and was buried near Neabsco Creek. Her stones were moved to Rippon Lodge in 1963 with dirt from her grave.
[Captions:]
Blank slate tablets may mark historic grave locations.
Left: Martin Scarlit's stone was far more legible when this photograph was taken in the 1930s.
Rose Peters' elegant foot stone is in the Rippon Lodge cemetery; her remains are not.
Erected by Prince William County Department of Public Works, Historic Preservation Division.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Colonial Era • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is September 16, 1695.
Location. 38° 36.819′ N, 77° 16.685′ W. Marker is in Woodbridge, Virginia, in Prince William County. Marker can be reached from Admiral Black Drive west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15520 Blackburn Road, Woodbridge VA 22191, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Burying Ground (a few steps from this marker); Collo. Richard Blackburn
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 29, 2019
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 29, 2019
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2019. It was originally submitted on March 29, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 413 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 29, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on March 30, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.