Spotsylvania, Virginia Table of Contents Item Page # The African American Heritage Trail is supported Introduction 3 in part by a Preserve America grant administered by About this Guide 4 the National Park Service, United States Department of John J. Wright Educational & the Interior. Cultural Center and Museum 5 This product is based upon work assisted by a grant Spotsylvania Sunday School Union from the U. S. Department of the Interior, National Parksite 7 Park Service. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or Waller Plantation 8 recommendations expressed in this material are those of The Well at Mount Olive 10 the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U. S. Department of the Interior. Mining in Livingston 11 Little Mine Road Baptist Church 14 Stubbs School 16 Benjamin Brown 17 Goodwin Mine 20 Piney Branch School 21 23rd U. S. Colored Infantry Engagement 24 Old Court House and Jail 25 George Boxley 29 Marshall Center 32 John J. Wright Home 35 Spotsylvania Yellow Jackets 36 Alfred L. Fairchild 38 Photography Credits 43 Selected Bibliography 44 Driving Tour Route 46 Acknowledgments 49 Notes 51 Map Back cover Legend Back cover Introduction About This Guide . Welcome to Spotsylvania County and the Where is Kunta Kinte’s grave? Why are black new African American Heritage Trail. churches so important in this county? How and Our county was established in 1721. As early when was high school for black children as the 1730s enslaved men and women lived developed? Were there black Civil War soldiers here. Almost 150 years later at the end of the and heroes from the County? Civil War, the names of nearly 4,700 Negroes We have attempted to provide answers to the- born and/or living in our county were recorded se and many other questions. This guide is pro- for the first time, including more than 150 who duced to enhance your driving tour long after you were over the age of 70. have left your vehicle. Through the use of history In 2009, the Spotsylvania County accompanied by more than 40 photographs, our Department of Economic Development & guide explains currently identified key sites of Af- Tourism, through the support of a Preserve rican American history in Spotsylvania County. America Grant from the National Park Service, There are three points to share with you. First, commissioned Rivanna Archaeological Services we use the words African American, black, Negro of Charlottesville, Virginia to conduct a compre- and colored interchangeably throughout this hensive study of the county for the purpose of guide. We do this in an attempt to be consistent writing its history in general, and its African with the language of the time period discussed. American history specifically. Their final product was presented in March 2010, and Second, a total of 212 references were used by forms the basis of the African American Her- our writer to produce this guide. While space itage Trail that we present here. Our driving does not allow us to write them all, a select tour is 75 miles throughout our 407 square miles bibliography is included. A full list of references of lush countryside. is available by contacting us at: The story of African Americans in this coun- [email protected] ty of the Commonwealth of Virginia is inextri- Third, this is a living-breathing guide. We are cably tied to the churches they developed. No- always seeking additional information about where is this more evident than in the rural historical firsts among Spotsylvania’s African countryside. There are stories of courage and Americans. Let us know if you have a fact to add. perseverance, joy and sadness, and pain and pleasure in each district of Spotsylvania. Put your seat belt on, take plenty of photo- graphs and enjoy the ride. When you have more With so much to experience and so much to time to reflect, reading this guide will help you to see, you will want to return again and again. understand a little more fully the extent that African American history enriches Spotsylvania We sincerely welcome you. County. -4- -3- JOHN J. WRIGHT with boarding rooms on the top floor, opened. EDUCATIONAL & CULTURAL Wright served as principal until 1925 when failing health prevented him from performing necessary CENTER and MUSEUM tasks. He taught for an additional year at the new Massaponax Rosenwald School near his home Dedicated in 2008, the John J. Wright and then retired to private life where he continued Educational & Cultural Center is the renovated to mentor his nieces, nephews and other youth, building of the only high school that served and actively lead the Spotsylvania Sunday School African American children in the county from Union. 1909 to integration begin- In his later years, he ning in 1968. A museum, sought opportunities to housed in the school’s origi- tell people to get an nal library, opened in 2010. education, buy some land It all began in 1905 when and register to vote. He local educator John J. Wright taught self-reliance and (1863 - 1931) organized a led a life of accomplish- meeting of Sunday School ment. He was a 32nd superintendents from local degree mason, clerk of black Baptist churches. The Beulah Baptist Church meeting was held at St. Luke for 31 years, correspond- Baptist Church. Those ing secretary of the attending formed the Mattaponi Baptist Spotsylvania Sunday School Association for 30 years, Union for the purpose of and president of the U. F. financially supporting the Bass Memorial Hospital development of the Freder- Association in an effort icksburg Normal & Industri- to build a facility to al Institute (aka Mayfield address the growing School) since it had the capac- number of cas- ity to educate past the seventh grade. Wright es of tubercu- was chosen president and his wife, Cora (right), losis in the ar- was chosen secretary. ea’s colored In 1908, the Union’s association with the population. Mayfield School ceased and it was decided to He died on build a high school in their own Spotsylvania January 2, 1931 community. One year later they had raised in his home. $475.50, purchased 158-1/2 acres from Mr. and The school’s name evolved through time from Spotsylvania Graded Mrs. D. F. Altenburg , and hired architect and School, to Spotsylvania High School, to Spotsylvania Training builder, Alfred Fairchild. Several years later, the School in 1927, to finally the John J. Wright School in 1940. (1932, courtesy Virginia State University Archives Spotsylvania Graded School (as it was first named), -5- -6- SPOTSYLVANIA SUNDAY on another local builder, Bennie Carter. When complete, the park had playground equipment, SCHOOL UNION PARKSITE outdoor grills, and bleachers from Since 1909, the Spotsylvania Sunday School which to watch park Union (SSSU), represented by their trustees, has activities. The brick owned the undeveloped acres surrounding the building houses the John J. Wright School (now totaling 138.5 acres). dedicatory stone In 1979, approximately 10 acres south of the plaque on which is school’s lot was set aside by the SSSU for a carved the names of community park. When they voted to construct 12 African Ameri- a building where programs may occur, they cans who were turned again to a Fairchild. This time it was Aa- strong advocates for ron Fairchild, third son of Alfred Fairchild who the SSSU. built the Spotsylvania Graded School. Aaron attended that school in the 1930s and later learned carpentry from his father, with whom he worked until the elder Fairchild’s death on February 20, 1950. Aaron was first married in 1937 to Aaron Alfred Fairchild Louisa native Florence Mildred Johnson. He later married the former Both photographs © 2012, Terry Miller Beulah Mae Scranage of King George, Virginia, on July 27, 1952. He was the father of four children. WALLER PLANTATION Aaron died on The name “Waller,” associated with slavehold- October 21, 1979, ing in Spotsylvania County, came to national several months before attention from the historical novel by Alex Haley, the building that he Roots, and the corresponding mini-series. Also and his work crew associated with the Waller name through Haley’s were constructing at work is the supposed name of one of the Waller the park was finished. family’s slaves, Kunta Kinte, aka Toby. Who were the Wallers and what can their experiences SSSU officials called © 2012, Terry Miller tell us about African American life pre-Civil War? -7- -8- The family’s origins in the U. S. began with ♦ William (1714-1760); married Ann Stanard John Waller (1673-1754), the second of nine Beverly (1711-1756) on June 21, 1738. Ann children of Dr. John and Mary Pomfrett Waller was the widow of Robert Beverly who died in of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, 1733. She was also the daughter of William who emigrated to King and Queen County, and Ann Hazlewood Stanard. Virginia in ~1696. He purchased 1,039 acres and established his plantation, Endfield. Soon after ♦ Benjamin (1716-1786); married Martha Hall his arrival, he married Dorothy King (1675- (1728-1780) 1759). He distinguished himself first as Justice ♦ Edmund (1718-1771); married Mary of the Peace from 1698-99 and Sheriff in 1699- Pendleton 1702. When the county redrew boundaries and became King William, he served again as Justice It was the elder John Waller’s son William of the Peace from 1701-02, sheriff from 1702- who inherited the Newport plantation. Genera- 1703, as a major in the militia in regiment tions hence continued the use of slave labor, as commanded by Colonel John West. Last, he did many county families. According to the 1860 was a representative in the House of Burgesses Census, 48.4% of the county’s population was from 1710-14 and 1720-22.