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Gum Springs African-American Mount Vernon VA attraction display education historical marker Historical Site information landmark marker Place of Interest sign Tourist Destination Travel Destination Virginia attractive destination educating Fairfax County Hamilton Gray Henry Randall historic marker historic site info Joint Stock Company Lovelace Brown Nathan Webb Robert D. King Samuel K. Taylor signage tourist attraction William Belfield appealing history no people text tourism travel South attract historic nobody word daytime displays historical markers landmarks markers signs appeal color image educate historical outdoor vertical day destinations Jason O. Watson / historical-markers.org historic markers historic sites tourist attractions US colour image outside day time USA day-time U.S. words color images daylight outdoors U.S.A. verticals colour images natural light outsides United States United States of America sign with text |
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GUM SPRINGS
Gum Springs, an African-American community, orginated here on a 214-acre farm bought in 1833 by West Ford (ca. 1785-1863), a freed man, skilled carpenter, and manager of the Mount Vernon estate. The freedman's school begun here in 1867 at Bethlehem Baptist Church encouraged black settlement. In 1890 the Rev. Sameul K. Taylor, William Belfield, Lovelace Brown, Hamilton Gray, Robert D. King, Henry Randall, and Nathan Webb formed the Joint Stock Company of Gum Springs and sold lots. Gum Springs has remained a vigorous black community.
Department of Historic Resources, 1991 |