Black Mobility Archive: Arlington, VA

Arlington County Black Mobility

Item Set

Items

• News article entitled 'Why Lee Freed the Slaves' in the Richmond Virginian, 1913
• News article entitled 'General Lee and the Custis Negroes' in the Staunton Vindicator
• News article about The Civil Rights Bill, 1866
• News reports on a letter discovered from Robert E. Lee freeing slaves at Arlington, dated December 29, 1862.
• The Arlington Servants, from a collection of letters in the Richmond Dispatch 1894
• Lynchburg Virginian, September 09, 1839
• Citizens Call for Experimental Farm in Arlington, 1888
• The Story of Segregation and Desegregation in Arlington
• Reported Deaths on May 27, 1889
• Unkept Arlington, 1888
  This is a news article published in the Alexandria Gazette about the stark contrast in conditions between Arlington National Cemetery and the rest of the land, which was occupied by black people.
• The Race Question by Rev. Mr. Vance, 1889
  This is an article entitled 'The Race Question' published in the Alexandria Gazette on May 27, 1889.
• 1938 Restrictive Covenant
  Use of restrictive covenants proliferated Arlington’s neighborhoods. These covenants prohibited home sales to African American or Black Arlingtonians based on race and/or religion. For example, this Bluemont neighborhood deed (1938) stated, “No persons of any race other than the Caucasian Race shall use or occupy any building or any lot” with exception of servants who lived in residence. Other variations explicitly sought sale to only Christian white owners. Restrictive covenants were also used to prohibit undesirable businesses, like taverns and hotels, or affordable housing types, in favor of single-family detached dwellings. These covenants were prevalent in Arlington until the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
• Green Valley (formerly Nauck) Segregation Wall
  In the late 1950’s, a wooden fence was the “de facto” segregation wall between the white enclave of Arlington Courts apartments and parcels adjacent to it and Green Valley (formerly Nauck) a historic Black neighborhood.
• 1916 Taxation of Negroes in Virginia
  “When a negro buys property from a white owner, other things being equal, he must usually pay more for it than would a white purchaser. This is especially true whenever the community in which the property lies is inhabited predominantly by white citizens. The purchase by a negro of real estate in such a community is apt to cause a general depreciation of values there. Tracts of land, or lots, lying in close proximity to the parcel of real estate bought by a negro are not as valuable as they were previously. To some extent, mere race prejudice, but to a larger extent other factors, cause this depreciation. Handicapped as he usually is by lack of capital and scientific training, the negro cannot maintain and improve his property as he should, and all too frequently it is allowed to become dilapidated. This tendency is promoted by his lack of persistence and nomadic propensities. Real estate of whatever sort is likely to be less productive in his possession than in the hands of his white neighbor. Habits of thriftlessness, ignorance of social responsibilities, and a lack of foresight prevent him from utilizing his resource to the best advantage. And while he does not make the necessary improvements on his property he also fails to give it the attractive appearance that he should. As a result, his land either absolutely sinks in value or at least fails to show the same increment of value that it would in white possession. Thus, while the negro is not commonly regarded as a desirable purchaser, on the other hand, if he desires to sell his lot or farm he is usually unable to obtain as much for it as can a white owner, or a price that is equivalent to its productive capacity. He will seldom find a negro buyer who can give him a price amounting to the real value of his property, unless the terms of payment cover a long period of installments. Because of the undesirable location, of a hesitancy in succeeding the negro occupant, or for some other reason, he will not be offered as much by a white person as a white owner would be. The negro thus appears to be handicapped in both the purchase and sale of real estate.”
• Record of Deaths and Burials Among the Freedmen of Alexandria, VA 1866
  These rosters carefully document the transition from life to death of the Freedmen and their families. The log notes many “infant child” deaths and some notations of “Buried Distitute.”
• Funeral Programs from "The Personal Papers of Birdie and Mabel Alston, 1905-2019"
  Over one hundred programs from funerals the Alston’s attended throughout Virginia and the Washington DC area. They contain information about the deceased’s life and family, and many include photographs; the deceased were part of the area’s Black community. Birdie (1919-2020) and Mable (nee Shirley) Alston (1920-2017) were married neighborhood activists and prominent community members in the Halls Hill/Highview Park area. The Alston’s came to Arlington in 1944 and settled in Halls Hill in 1947.
• Rev. A. Gladwin 1864 Book of Marriages
  Although many of the marriages performed by Rev. Gladwin took place in a chapel or the home of the bride or groom, the marriage of Mark Welcome and Lydia Carter on February 15, 1864 took “At Residence Slave Pen.”
• 1860 Petition for Re-Enslavement Story
  Some free Black individuals chose to be re-enslaved, as a result of an act passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 1806 that required formerly enslaved people to leave the commonwealth within twelve months of being granted their freedom. In 1856, the General Assembly passed an act allowing free Black individuals who desired to remain in the commonwealth to petition for re-enslavement. These petitions include the petitioner's name, previous enslaver, means of emancipation, and desired new enslaver.
• 1833 Emancipation Story
  “Know all men by them presents that I, James Townshend of the town of Alexandria DC, in consideration of the love & affection I bear them, do hereby emancipate & set free from all manner of slavery my wife Caroline Townshend, and her six children, to wit: William Henry, aged about nine years, Eliza aged about seven years, Sophia aged about five years, James aged about four years, Catharine aged about three years, and Sarah aged about three months; all of whom I purchased from Rick H. Henderson of Loudoun County, Va. On witness whereof I hereby set my hand and seal the tenth day of October 1833. James Townshend.
• 1813 Runaway Slave Story
  March 18, 1813: Thirty Dollars Reward. Ran away from Chestnut Hill, the residence of the subscriber, in Fairfax County, a Negro Woman named Hannah. She is about 26 or 27 years of age, rather above the middle stature, slender, and very black. Her wool was cut short on the fore part of her head, and she has lost one of her lower fore teeth. & the rest have a loose appearance. She is an excellent cook, and understands all kinds of house work. She ran away first in March 1812, was brought home, and went again in April, and staid till August, when she was taken up at the house of one Thorpe, in GeorgeTown, where she passed for a free woman, calling herself Mary, and was there put in jail—a short time after being brought home, she escaped again, and was for some time after in Alexandria and it is now supposed she is harbored by Mr. Custis’s negroes at Arlington, or is about the City or Navy Yard. She spent the whole fishing season last year at some of the fishing shores, and will probably do the same this year if in this part of the country—When she was brought home in August she had the appearance of expecting an increase to her family sometime about January, and if she has not destroyed it, she has probably a young Child now. I will give Twenty Dollars to any person who will secure her in Jail so that I get her again, & give information either to Mr. John Threlkeld near Georgetown. or to Mr. William Maznadier in Alexandria, or thirty dollars if taken at a greater distance from home than fifty miles. All persons are forewarned hiring or harboring said Negro, as the law will certainly be put in force against them.
• Hall's Hill Segregation Wall; 1930s
  Built from wood, brick, and cement, a "segregation wall" separating the majority-white neighborhood of Woodlawn Village and the majority-African American or Black neighborhood of Hall's Hill is constructed.
• The Bottom
• Green Valley Pharmacy (in Green Valley Neighborhood)
• Fire Station 8 (in Halls Hill Neighborhood)
• Halls Hill Neighborhood
  “The Sealock dairy farm on North 16th Street was sold in 1935 to an organization that wanted to bring a hospital to that location. This began an effort to move the Halls Hill community to the Green Valley neighborhood in south Arlington. The aim was unsuccessful, but it was one of many efforts to displace the residents of Halls Hill over the years. The hospital was built during the war and opened in March 1944. Residents of Halls Hill could not patronize the hospital, as they refused to serve [B]lack people when they opened, even though the facility was in the Halls Hill community [a Black enclave].”