Overview of Project
This story map is a collaborative project of the Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County (AAHA) & The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) . We gratefully acknowledge the assistance provided by Fauquier County GIS Department in completing this project, as well as funding support from the PATH Foundation.
In Fauquier County, as in many regions throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, African American communities born during the Reconstruction-era have thrived by way of a shared life story. For at least 150 years, these families and their descendants have lived and learned, worked and worshipped, celebrated and mourned.
In this story map, we attempt to tell the history of the lives of these often overlooked and omitted Americans from history’s pages.
Communities
Following the Civil War in 1865, the free people of color began exercising their freedom by purchasing property, educating themselves and their children, and organizing places of worship first within homes, tree arbors and later in erecting houses of worship. In 1867, Fauquier records show that many African Americans voted for the first time. These communities provided safe and loving environments for the residents living in and visiting them.
Looking back to 1860, Fauquier’s population was 21,706. This consisted of 10,430 Whites of which there were 1,185 slave holders (this number does not include those who hired enslaved labor). According to 1860 US Slave schedule there were 2,146 dwellings for the 10,455 enslaved people. At this time there were 821 registered Free People of Color.
A sense of community existed even within the confines of slavery. It was common practice for the slaveholder to provide quarters and cabins for the enslaved, many of which were utilized to provide housing for the contracted paid laborers (black and white) during reconstruction. Some African Americans inherited property from their former slaveholder and some purchased properties in areas near to where they had been enslaved and from persons that they had known while enslaved. Owning one’s home was a goal of the county’s new freedmen.
Records exist to tell the stories of their existence during the civil war into Reconstruction demonstrating their desire to worship their God and educate their children. There were at least 30 African American schools and churches that supported these newly established communities. Within the communities one might find the talents and skills of midwives, blacksmiths, grooms and trainers, storekeepers, farmers, stone masons, plasterers, builders and carpenters, teachers & preachers.
Church
Prior to 1865, some local church records show that enslaved and free people of color were baptized and became members of local churches: Broad Run Baptist, Thumb Run Baptist, Zoar Baptist in Bristersburg, Long Branch Baptist in Halfway, St. James Episcopal in Warrenton, Broad Run and Warrenton Baptist.
Church membership was generally recorded on roll book pages under separate headings: White Males, White Females, Colored Males, Colored Females. African American members were identified by first name, sex, name of their enslaver, dates of baptism, dates dismissed and the reason for the dismissal, e.g., moved with owner to another location; sold; dismissed for dishonoring or disobeying owner or master; left to join their “Yankee” friends.
Asheville Baptist Church. Photo by Hugh Kenny, The Piedmont Environmental Council.
During the 1870s county records provide information on the formation of churches, land deeded for the purpose of a “colored” house of worship, and the naming of church trustees, moderators or ministers.
Although many of these new churches held services only one Sunday a month, one could attend church every Sunday if desired by visiting a church in a neighboring community.
Mount Pisgah Baptist Church and cemetery in Upperville. Photo by Hugh Kenny, The Piedmont Environmental Council.
There seems to have been a design in mind when a Sunday was selected in a community. For example, in Northern Fauquier, First Ashville Baptist and First Baptist in The Plains held services on the first Sunday. Salem, Marshall and Providence, Orlean held services on 2nd Sunday, Mt. Nebo, Morgantown, and Mt. Olive, Rectortown held services on 3rd Sunday, Mt. Morris in Hume and the Waterloo Church held services on 4th Sunday.
Similar patterns are seen in Southern Fauquier. In the town of Warrenton, due to a larger African American population, Mt. Zion and First Baptist held services every Sunday.
Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in Upperville. Photo by Hugh Kenny, The Piedmont Environmental Council.
Generally, throughout Fauquier, the 5th Sunday was reserved for joint meetings of the churches' Youth departments and Sunday School Unions. Weekly prayer meetings and Sunday School classes were held in the communities.
Today the majority of these original Reconstruction era churches continue to hold services. Their membership includes descendants of the community’s original families.
Mt. Nebo Baptist Church. Photo by Hugh Kenny, The Piedmont Environmental Council.
School
After 1865, primary education began in homes, churches, schools all within the bounds of the local communities. By the early 1900’s communities began erecting school buildings for its youth. Secondary education in Fauquier was not readily available.
Between 1938-58, secondary education was available at the Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth. This school was founded in 1893, by Jennie Dean, a former enslaved person who believed in the value of vocational education for both males and females. This residential school served youth of five northern Virginia counties: Prince Williams, Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun and Fauquier.
Youth living in the town of Warrenton were able to attend The County Training School, built in 1914. By 1930 the school grew into a four-year high school and was renamed Rosenwald High. Most students attending Rosenwald High lived in Warrenton. William C. Taylor High School was erected in 1952, to serve all of Fauquier’s African American students, who successfully completed grades 1-7, at one of the County’s many one, two or three-room elementary schools.
Throughout the years, these small elementary school buildings were erected, repaired, demolished, rebuilt. Despite Brown v. Board of Education and companion cases, desegregation did not come readily. In some Virginia counties, opponents of integration were moved to employ Massive Resistance efforts. In the early 1960’s Fauquier built and opened three modern elementary school buildings which would encompass students from the County’s many community based small schools. These three consolidated schools, Northwestern, Central and Southeastern were built to demonstrate the equality of educational facilities for the African American while remaining segregated.
By winter break, 1963, all small schools closed, and in January 1964, children were now bused to the school assigned to them. The ride to school would be two hours and often included a transfer of buses. One high school student remembers that she and her younger siblings (ages 6, 7, 11) boarded the bus at 6:50 a.m. and did not arrive home ‘till 5:00 p.m. Still avoiding full desegregation, in 1964-65, parents were given an option called “freedom of choice.”
Fauquier schools integrated in 1969. The high school named for African American educator William C. Taylor is now William C. Taylor Middle School. Only one building remains of the Rosenwald complex and is privately owned. Southeastern is now Southeastern Alternative School. Northwestern was renamed Claude Thompson Elementary in honor of its former principal, an African American. Central is now the Warrenton Community Center.
Explore the Map
List Map
Learn & Share
As community-driven nonprofit organizations, the Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County and The Piedmont Environmental Council rely on member support, feedback and engagement. If you feel inspired by what you’ve seen here today, learn more about Fauquier’s historic African American communities and expand or share your knowledge by:
- Visiting www.aahafauquier.org and searching the available databases for more information which include 1867 Voters , African American Marriages , Bible Records , Born Free & Emancipated , and AAHA Archives .
- Reaching out to info@aahafauquier.org with photos, information, documentation, stories etc...or simply to share your response to the story map. We would love to hear from you!
- Contacting your elected officials and asking them to support greater local, state and federal recognition of these important, but often overlooked communities and historic resources.
Looking forward, we are already thinking on ways to add, enhance or add new resource layers to this story map project. Potential future additions include: church and community cemeteries, burial sites of the enslaved, and known small family burial sites; sites of impactful historical events; names and location of early African-American owned businesses; sites of fraternal lodges and the story of civic role they played in the African American community, and more!
Stay tuned and please contact us with questions and feedback: www.aahafauquier.org/contact
