Gum Springs, Virginia

Not to be confused with Gum Spring, Virginia.

Gum Springs is a community in Fairfax County in Hybla Valley along Route 1 (Richmond Highway). The African American community, the oldest in the county,^[1] was established in 1833 by West Ford, a freedman who had been manumitted by Hannah Bushrod Washington (widow of John Augustine Washington), in 1805.^[2][3] A historical marker (Number E-04) was erected by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in 1991.^[4]

Welcome to Gum Springs

History

Founding

Gum Springs' founder, West Ford

In 1833, Gum Springs was founded by West Ford, a freed slave, skilled carpenter, and manager on George Washington's plantation, Mount Vernon.^[5] Ford was able to develop this 214-acre farming community from the sale of land he inherited from Hannah Washington, the sister-in-law of George Washington. By 1866, Ford was the second richest free black farmer in Fairfax County, Virginia. Gum Springs Farm became the nucleus of an African-American community throughout the 1800s.

Gum Springs School

The school was established after the Civil War.^[6]

Bethlehem Baptist Church

Bethlehem Baptist Church

The church was established in 1863.^[7]

Odd Fellows Hall

The Pride of Fairfax Lodge #298 building, formerly known as the Mount Vernon Enterprise Lodge No. 3488, is listed on the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites and was listed to the Virginia Landmarks Register in 2021 and the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.^[8]

Joint Stock Club

In 1890, the Joint Stock Club was formed by five men. This endeavor helped create a safe place for African Americans to obtain land. All land was collaboratively bought, sold and subdivided at cost to other African Americans at a price of $30 an acre.^[2]

Snowden Cemetery

Woodland Baptist Church

Gum Springs Historical Society and Museum

Gum Springs Historical Society and Museum^[9] is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Gum Springs Community and regularly disseminates information that tells the story of the Community's economic struggle and dedication to building an African-American community.^[10] A historical marker is located at the corner of Richmond Highway and Fordson Road ( 38° 44.909′ N, 77° 4.965′ W).^[11]

Notable people

• West Ford
• Saunders B. Moon
• Annie M. (Dandridge) Smith
• Reverend Samuel K. Taylor

References

1. "Gum Springs Historical Society and Museum". www.virginia.org.
2. "Preserving African American Heritage -Gum Springs". The Zebra. February 7, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
3. Blechman, Barbara H. (March 21, 1985). "Black History Museum Considered for Gum Springs". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
4. Historical Marker Database. "E-94 Gum Springs Historical Marker". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
5. "Did George Washington Have an Enslaved Son?". The New Yorker. March 4, 2022.
6. Casper, Scott E. (January 20, 2009). Sarah Johnson's Mount Vernon: The Forgotten History of an American Shrine. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 9781429931212.
7. "Bethlehem Baptist Church Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org.
8. "Pride of Fairfax Lodge #298, Fairfax County, DHR No. 029-6069". www.dhr.virginia.gov.
9. "Taking Pride in 175 Years of History". Mount Vernon Gazette. May 21, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
10. Newton, Grace (May 26, 2024). "'Your quiet community could be destroyed': Gum Springs residents fight to preserve local history". WTOP News. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
11. "E 94 Gum Springs Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved March 16, 2022.

Further reading

• Casper, Scott E. (January 20, 2009). Sarah Johnson's Mount Vernon: The Forgotten History of an American Shrine. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0809084159.
• Bryant, Linda Allen (2004). I Cannot Tell a Lie: The True Story of George Washington's African American Descendants. iUniverse. ISBN 0595664423.
• "A Certain Pride of Gum Springs". YouTube. May 23, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
• "A Guide to Gum Springs Virginia Collection, 1915-1951". Virginia Heritage Guide to Manuscripts and Archival Collections in Virginia. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.

38°44′25″N 77°04′56″W