Arlington has come a long way from the days when it lived in the shadow of Alexandria. No longer needing to look over its shoulder, the county is now often a leader or towards the top in lifestyle rankings, including the recent great news that they went without a homicide last year.
I’m not sure what it is about Arlington, but whenever they do something, they not only do it right, they always seem to do it with a touch of class and innovation.
The latest example is their Green Valley (Nauck) Community Heritage Project. Located at the Nauck Town Square at the corner of S. 24th and Shirlington Road, five history panels have been installed atop a black metal fence. This unique presentation caught my eye the other day when I was on my way to the Arlington Library. Never seeing anything like it, I had to stop.
Turns out there’s a fascinating history behind this community, one that highlights the plight and passage of “contrabands,” a term we will be hearing more about this year, and an aspect of the Civil War history that played a role in the emancipation of slaves.
In 1861, three slaves, Sheppard Mallory, Frank Baker, and James Townsend, escaped their masters in southern Virginia and asked for protection at Fort Monroe in Hampton Roads. The fort’s commander, Major General Butler, told their owners that since Virginia was not part of the Union, he did not have to return them. He ruled them as property in the hands of the Union.
In March 1862, Congress passed the “Act of Prohibiting the Return of Slaves,” which forbade the military to return escaped slaves to their owners. Prior to this, some military commanders did return slaves.
Stepping in to the Union camps was a step forward for these hundreds of thousands of freedom seekers. Their hope and dreams, however, came with a cost.
African Americans, meanwhile, discovered that conditions in a contraband camp, depending on who was in charge and where it was located, were often worse than life on the plantation. Refugees in these makeshift villages of tents or shacks sometimes suffered abuse at the hands of Union soldiers, faced reprisals when Confederates infiltrated Union lines, were occasionally handed over when their owners came looking for them, and fell victim to smallpox and diseases that proliferated in the absence of proper sanitation. Increasingly, women and children arrived in the camps—barefoot and hungry after long journeys by boat, wagon, foot.
The Bureau of Refugees and Freedman built a number of camps in the South and border states, but the one built at Arlington was the most famous. That summer, and even before, slaves from Virginia and Maryland poured into Washington. With overcrowding a problem at one of the initial camps near the Capitol, the Quartermaster Department looked across the river in Virginia. In May 1863, they established “Freedman’s Village,” a 210-acre camp on the Arlington Estate. Today we know the land as the southern part of Arlington Cemetery and near the Pentagon.
Intended to be a temporary haven, the camp lasted for more than 30 years and held more than 1,000 refugees. Hardships were endured, especially in the winter. Spirits were lifted, however, when Sojourner Truth came to Washington in 1864 and worked to help improve the conditions for African-Americans. The National Freedman’s Relief Association appointed her as a counselor at Freedmen’s Village, where she worked for over a year assisting the people there.
According to the National Park Service nomination form for the Lomax African-American Episcopal Zion Church, the government closed down the camp in 1887. 150 or so families stayed until 1890. In that decade, they were finally forced to move. Some went to Nauck, East Arlington, Queen City, and S. Washington. Some of these places were torn down to make way for the Pentagon and their roads in 1942.
Nauck got its start in great part to Levi and Sarah Ann Jones, African-Americans not under the bondage of slavery. Prior to 1844, they owned land in Arlington and sold properties to black families who came over from the Freedman’s camp. The historic Lomax AME Zion Church traces its roots back to 1866 when residents of Freedmen’s Village organized the Little Zion Church.
It’s great to learn about this neighborhood’s past, present and future. Columbia Pike is on tap for a streetcar line that will help usher in the region’s next generation of transportation. For some in the area, the sight will bring back memories of the trolley lines that traversed Arlington County. The Nauck line is discussed at one of the interpretive markers:
It was the electric railway, which came to Nauck in 1898 that spurred development of the neighborhood. The Nauck line of the Washington, Arlington, and Fairfax Railway ran parallel to what is now South Kenmore Street and there was a station located south of what is now the intersection of 19th Street South and South Kenmore Street.
We look forward to seeing the next set of panels set to be erected this spring. That fried chicken spot might just have to be visited too.
Jay,
I am excited to see you so inspired by the Nauck Town Square. My name is Lena Shrestha, and I'm a researcher working with Arlington County on the production of the new panels this spring.
Currently, we are garnering feedback from the Nauck community - including new residents - about themes to highlight on the new panels. I would love to hear your thoughts on what you'd like to see represented, or if you have thoughts on topics you'd like to learn more about.
Feel free to email me directly (lshrestha@arlingtonva.us) or check out our Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/groups/284218538311454/).
Lena
Posted by: Lena Shrestha | February 13, 2012 at 12:15 PM
Hi Lena,
As evidenced by the panels and community input, you are doing a great job.
I don’t have any particular knowledge but I would just recommend going over the text with a fine tooth comb. Every once in a while I read about an inaccurate marker. So consult with the historical society and others.
Older folk love talking about what they know but they don't always connect on-line. Door to door might pay huge dividends, and bring a recorder.
All the best, and I really do love the design of those panels, and all the things you covered. You're way ahead of the pack!
Take care,
Jay
Posted by: Jay | February 14, 2012 at 05:27 AM