Black History Month Events Planned

Dumfries, Va. — There are several events taking place in and around the Potomac Communities to commemorate Black History Month this February.

African American cemetery discovered
The Weems-Botts Museum in Dumfries has a report from an archeological investigation that of a nearby African American cemetery, recently located behind Dumfries Elementary School. The cemetery was not found until school officials explored the possibility of expanding the parking lot there, said Prince William and Manassas, Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Jennifer Buske.

The 2009 report details what was found at the cemetery site, and you can view the report prior to March 1 by calling ahead at the museum, 703-221-2218.

Underground railroad program at Leeslyvania State Park
Leesylvania State Park will have a special program Feb 18 and 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The parkland played a role in the underground railroad network. Visitors can learn about the park’s rich and diverse history. Parking fee $5.

Shiloh Baptist Church Blacks in Wax Museum
Shiloh Baptist Church near Gunston Hall will celebrate Black History Month with a program entitled Shiloh’s Blacks in Wax Museum. The theme for the show is connecting the past to the present, and it will depict notable pioneers who paved the way to success for blacks and other minorities.

The event is Sunday, February 27, at 9 a.m. at 10704 Gunston Road in Lorton. Call 703-550-8557 for more information.

Other events taking place in Prince William County to commemorate the month:

Explore the only restored, interpreted African American schoolhouse in Northern Virginia, connect with the ghost of a former slave held at Brentsville jail or step inside one of Northern Virginia’s only remaining slave quarters open to the public.

“Prince William and Manassas have very unique sites that tell the story of our rich African American heritage,” Discover Prince William & Manassas, VA Executive Director Ann Marie Maher said. “We have diverse interpretive programs that give visitors a glimpse into our past.”

Here’s a list of some of our top historic sites, located just 29 miles south of the nation’s capital:

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre –Thirteen executions were recorded at the Brentsville jail in the mid-1800’s, 12 of which were African Americans. One executed female slave is believed to haunt the property. Another, a runaway slave, was killed after he allegedly tried to burn his way out of the jail. Evidence of a fire is still visible in the beams of the building.

Lucasville School – This one-room school was built solely for African American children in 1885. The interactive site allows visitors to write on chalkboards and read the books used more than 100 years ago. Lucasville is open for tours every weekend in February.

Industrial School & Jennie Dean Memorial – Walk this five-acre park dedicated to the Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth. Founded by former slave Jennie Dean, the school was one of the few sources of higher education in Northern Virginia for African Americans.

Ben Lomond Historic Site – Explore one of the few remaining public, furnished slave quarters in Northern Virginia. Sit on a reproduction slave’s bed and learn about slave life. Also visit the plantation’s home, which served as a Civil War Hospital. Graffiti from soldiers is still visible in the house.

-Discover Prince William & Manassas, VA Convention and Visitors Bureau