The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington

08/23/2026

Bridging a Century of Representation: From John B. Syphax to Adele McClure

When Adele McClure took her oath of office in January 2024 as the Delegate for Virginia’s 2nd District, her swearing-in marked a historic milestone for Arlington County.

Her election represented a profound historical full-circle moment: McClure became the first Black person to represent Arlington in the Virginia House of Delegates since Reconstruction—arriving in the General Assembly 150 years after local trailblazer John Bryce Syphax was elected to the same body.

To understand the weight of McClure’s election, one must look back to 1873, when John B. Syphax—a member of one of Arlington’s most prominent African American families—was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Representing Alexandria City and Alexandria County (which then encompassed present-day Arlington), Syphax served during the 1874–1875 legislative session.

A committed Republican during the Reconstruction era, Syphax advocated for public education, property rights, and civil protection for newly freed African Americans. After his term in the General Assembly, he continued his public service locally as an Arlington justice of the peace, treasurer, and school board member.

A 150-Year Gap and a New Legacy
Following the end of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow laws across the South, Black representation in Virginia's legislature was systematically suppressed for nearly a century. While Dr. William Ferguson Reid broke the statewide barrier in 1967 as the first Black Delegate elected in Virginia since 1891, Arlington County itself did not send another Black representative to Richmond for a century and a half.

That lineage resumed when Adele McClure won her seat to represent the 2nd District in Arlington. In addition to breaking the 150-year gap since Syphax’s tenure, McClure made state history as the first Black person and the first Asian American to represent Arlington County in the General Assembly, as well as the first person of Filipino descent elected to the Virginia legislature.

By taking her seat in Richmond, McClure connects modern Arlington to its deep Reconstruction-era roots, carrying forward the legacy of civic leadership established by the Syphax family dynamic a century and a half ago.

Dr.Scott Edwin Taylor

08/20/2026

As we look back upon 1619, we remember the cruelty and inhumane treatment that enslaved people were forced to endure.

We must continue to remember, especially at a time when administrative policies attempt to cover up and whitewash our history.
In 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis defended academic standards suggesting slavery benefited enslaved people by teaching them skills—a statement that should be regarded as a travesty.

Across the nation, museums are being pressured to take down exhibits, and crucial chapters of Black history remain omitted from school textbooks.

We must look back to ensure we do not repeat the past. Remembering 1619 honors both the profound sacrifices of our ancestors and the enduring struggle to build a more perfect union for us all.

Dr.Scott Edwin Taylor
(BHMA President)

08/17/2026

Did you know an Arlington resident was one of the key architects of the Kennedy Center?
ward Leslie Hamm

Architect and civil rights leader Edward Leslie Hamm, Sr. (1917–2013) of Arlington, Virginia, contributed to the creation of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through his professional work with the federal government.

In 1960, Hamm joined the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). During his career with the agency, he served as a Project Review Architect specifically for the John F. Kennedy Cultural Center for the Performing Arts. In this role, he was responsible for reviewing architectural plans, structural designs, and technical specifications for the national cultural landmark prior to and during its development.

Beyond his direct review work for the Kennedy Center, Hamm served in several senior architectural roles at the GSA, including Project Coordinator for the Federal Triangle Project, Acting Chief of the Architectural Section, and Chief Architect and Energy Conservation Coordinator for the Professional Service Division before retiring in 1977.

Outside of his federal career as a distinguished architect, Hamm and his wife, Dorothy Bigelow Hamm, were foundational civil rights pioneers in Arlington. Together, they led historic legal challenges to desegregate Arlington County Public Schools, public theaters, and regional facilities, while Leslie Hamm also spearheaded community planning and neighborhood restoration projects throughout High View Park (Halls Hill).

Dr.Scott Taylor

08/08/2026

We will miss you, Dr. Alfred O. Taylor

08/01/2026

Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington, 1669-1865

The Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington invite you to the unveiling of "Stumbling Stones." These bronze markers commemorate the lives of the enslaved people who helped build our county (and our country). The markers are placed in the sidewalk at the last known location where these enslaved people lived. Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington’sresearch has revealed over 2,750 enslaved people and identified 1,045 by name.

Please join us for the Dedication Ceremony honoring two once enslaved individuals

Lidia: Born ca. 1810
Henry Speaks: Born ca. 1827

We will be honoring them at
12:00 noon, Sunday, August 2, 2026
at the Intersection of
10th Street North and North Frederick Street
in front of
St. Ann Catholic Church
--
Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington | enslavedarl.org
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Honoring the lives and contributions of people who were enslaved in Arlington, VA.

07/28/2026

Shadows of Arlington: Ghost Stories and Ancestral Spirits of Northern Virginia

(Dr. Scott Taylor, PhD )

Behind Arlington’s modern cityscape of high-rises and suburban neighborhoods lies a rich, layered history. Deeply intertwined with the local African-American experience, Northern Virginia's landscape holds eerie legends, tragic lore, and enduring oral traditions. From forbidden hollows to sacred, spirit-filled grounds, these four chilling stories bridge the gap between Arlington's past and the spectral present.

Dead Man’s Hollow

Near what is today the Spout Run shopping center near Rosslyn, modern commuters hustle past an area that was once strictly avoided after dark. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this ravine—known ominously as Dead Man’s Hollow—earned a dark reputation due to a string of robberies, tragic incidents, and unsolved murders.

Early 1900s newspaper reports record several grim events tied to residents of Halls Hill (now High View Park). Among them was the tragic 1906 death of Fred Miles, a 32-year-old Halls Hill resident whose life was cut short in the hollow.

For decades, travelers refused to traverse the hollow at night. Local lore speaks of dark shadows darting between the steep hillsides and echoes of distant, historical struggles cutting through the evening silence.

The Whispering Echoes of Freedman’s Village

Not every haunting stems from a traditional ghost story; some arise from deep historic displacement. Beneath the quiet, manicured grounds of Arlington National Cemetery lies the memory of Freedman’s Village—a thriving community built by formerly enslaved people that flourished from 1863 to 1900.

The federal government forced the removal of Freedman’s Village residents to expand the cemetery, dismantling a vibrant, self-sustaining community.

Many believed the spirits of the community leaders and families never truly left the land they fought so hard to build.

Visitors and groundskeepers near the Freedman’s Village Bridge report inexplicable feelings of being watched.

Witnesses occasionally describe hearing the faint, distant hustle of a bustling 19th-century neighborhood where only gravestones stand today.

Green Valley

In the historic neighborhood of Green Valley (Nauck)—settled in the 1840s by free African Americans like Levi and Sarah Ann Jones—folklore takes on a very different, protective tone.

Rather than malevolent ghosts out to cause fear, oral traditions in Green Valley speak of "haints" or ancestral spirits. Passed down through generations, these stories describe guardian spirits tied to the neighborhood's oldest homes, watching over descendants and keeping vigil over the heritage of one of Arlington's foundational communities.

Halls Hill (historically known as High View Park)

The oldest historic African-American enclave in Northern Virginia—has a ghost story tradition deeply tied to its geography, tragic events in its periphery, and rich oral traditions.

While much of Halls Hill’s supernatural lore centers on protective ancestral spirits rather than Hollywood-style malevolent hauntings, several specific legends and eerie accounts connect directly to the neighborhood and its immediate borders:

In alignment with traditional Southern African-American folklore, oral history in Halls Hill often refers to "haints" or guardian spirits:

Unlike terrifying phantoms, these spirits were believed to be the ancestors and early settlers who established Halls Hill after purchasing plot land in the 1860s following emancipation.

Elders in the neighborhood historically spoke of feeling the presence of past community builders watching over old family homes, church properties, and neighborhood perimeters—a comforting, protective supernatural presence during eras when the segregated community had to rely entirely on itself for safety and resilience.

Located just at the edge of the historic Halls Hill neighborhood footprint (near the Overlee Community Center pool site), stands one of Arlington's most persistent ghost sightings.

The Ghost of Margaret Febrey: In the 1890s, Ernest Febrey built the grand Febrey-Kincheloe estate nearby, where his young daughter Margaret tragically died of spinal tuberculosis in 1913.

Over decades, caretakers, contractors, and pool visitors have reported seeing a young girl dressed in a Victorian-era gray dress walking the grounds, standing near basement stairs, or appearing poolside. Demolition workers tearing down the old estate structure in 2012 even reported speaking to a strange girl in 19th-century attire before she vanished into thin air.

Queen City: The Burning Town 1942

While Queen City—the historic African-American neighborhood near where the Pentagon sits today—does not have traditional "haunted house" ghost stories, its history is deeply tied to a profound, tragic "historical haunting" and modern memorial lore.

Queen City was established in the late 19th century and grew into a vibrant, self-sustaining Black community complete with 218 homes, local businesses, churches, and Arlington's first all-Black fire station.

In April 1942, during World War II, the federal government invoked eminent domain to build the Pentagon highway network and road interchanges. Rather than giving residents adequate time to relocate, federal authorities executed a scorched-earth clearance—deliberately setting fire to homes and bulldozing structures while families were still packing their belongings. Over 900 residents were displaced in a matter of days, completely erasing the physical footprint of the town.

For decades, former residents and historians referred to Queen City as a "phantom neighborhood."

Because it was replaced entirely by concrete—specifically the complex web of cloverleaf ramps where Columbia Pike meets the Pentagon—local oral tradition holds that you can literally "drive right over" the phantom ghost town.

Elders who lived through the displacement often spoke of the surreal, haunting sensation of standing near the modern Pentagon interchanges and knowing that their childhood living rooms, kitchens, and church altars sit right under the asphalt.

Spiritual Ties

In Southern Black folklore, when a community is violently dismantled or uprooted without proper closure, its memory is said to leave a deep spiritual weight on the land.

Local oral histories among displaced families carried the belief that the spirits of the early community builders remained tied to the land.

Rather than malevolent specters, these ancestral presence accounts were viewed as a persistent refusal to be forgotten—a quiet, protective "shadow" cast over the military infrastructure built on top of their homes.

The memory of Queen City’s abrupt erasure inspired a major public art monument created by artist Nekisha Durrett at Amazon’s HQ2 in Metropolitan Park.

Built in the shape of a massive brick silhouette, the interior contains 903 handmade ceramic teardrops—one for every single Queen City resident displaced in 1942. Visitors and locals describe walking inside the monument as an almost supernatural experience: the dark interior, suspended teardrop vessels, and ambient echo create a sacred, tomb-like space specifically designed to give physical shape to the "ghosts" of a lost community.

Whether viewed as eerie supernatural phenomena or profound cultural memories, these legends serve as a poignant reminder of the lives, struggles, and resilience of the African-American communities that shaped Arlington and the surrounding region.

07/26/2026

Rest in peace Dr. Taylor

Dr. Alfred Taylor Jr. Was a prominent educator, community historian, and civic leader best known for his decades of service and advocacy in Arlington, Virginia—particularly within the historic Green Valley (formerly Nauck) neighborhood.

Dr. Taylor dedicated much of his life to documenting local African American history. He is the author of "Bridge Builders of Nauck/Green Valley: Past and Present," which records the stories of over 100 Arlingtonians, as well as his autobiography, "What an Amazing Journey".
He spent more than 30 years as an administrator and educator at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), where he originally helped expand their printing and publishing technology programs.
Dr. Taylor served as president of the Arlington Branch of the NAACP, president of the Green Valley Civic Association, and Chairman of the Deacon’s Ministry at Macedonia Baptist Church.
In 2019, he was honored with the Spirit of Community Award by the Arlington Community Foundation for his longstanding leadership, historical advocacy, and mentorship.
An outstanding human being.

07/24/2026

BHMA NEWS !

06/14/2026

Honoring the Enslaved at Abingdon (Plantation) House

The Abingdon plantation, also known as the Alexander-Custis Plantation, was an 18th- and 19th-century estate owned by prominent families including the Alexanders, Custises, Stuarts, and Hunters, and was worked by slaves and domesticated animals. The site of the plantation is currently located in Arlington County, Virginia, within the grounds of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

When John Parke Custis acquired Abingdon from Robert Alexander, he also purchased a 1,100-acre tract of land from Gerrard Alexander. This tract, separate from Abingdon, remained in the Custis family, and G.W.P. Custis later built Arlington House on the land he developed.

In the 60 years leading up to the Civil War, at least 200 enslaved African Americans lived and labored on the estate, with approximately 63 individuals residing there at any given time.

The absence of traditional surnames among enslaved people was a deliberate result of the chattel slavery system, which treated human beings as property rather than citizens. By stripping enslaved individuals of family lineage and property ownership identifiers, the system reinforced their status as property and eroded family structures.

A B I N G D O N H O U S E S L A V E S

A limited number of records document the names of enslaved individuals held at Abingdon, including:

Dick, Bess, Robin, Stice, Nell, Nan, David, Will, Milley, Rose, Solomon, James, Peg (daughter of Moll), Peg (daughter of Bess), F***y, Cook Nan, Cook Beck, Rose, Moll, Amey, Dinah, Ebe, Doll, Old F***y, Nan, Beck, Sall, Sarah, Pat, Naney, Nelly, Amey, Nan, Letts,

Tom Millar, Great Joe, Great Harry, Little Tarry, George, Phill, John Tower, Julius, Charles, Will Flood, Will Twine, Lane, Joe, Lewis, Peter Hardyman, Daniel, John, Terry, George, David, Tom, Mingo,

Beck, Nan, Lydia, Moll, Charlotte, Jenny, Mima, Mima, Patt, Beck, Ally,

Billy, Joshua, Sithey, Ceasar, Morris, Anthony, Jack, Will, Peter, John, David, Joe, Billy, Nelson, James, Sampson, Stephen, Ned, Joe, Bob, Susan, Charlotte, "the youngest daughter of Celia", Joseph, Sandy Watts, Peter, Tobey, Henry, Jackson, Robinson, Charles, Lewis, Martha, Michael, Cecelia, Sandy, Emily, Mary, Hannah, Dinah, Rebeka, Daniel, James, Bushrod, Philip.

In 1998, interpretive panels were installed at the Abingdon plantation site, primarily focusing on the lives of the plantation owners. However, for over a century before the Civil War, enslaved African Americans comprised the majority of the population working at the site.

Through archaeological research and historical investigation, the lives and contributions of these men, women, and children are being recognized and commemorated.

Enslaved individuals at Abingdon performed skilled tasks such as backbreaking labor in the fields, animal care, machinery maintenance, and groundskeeping. Within the main house, duties included childcare, laundry, sewing, cleaning, and food preparation. Their labor facilitated the lives of the plantation owners and contributed to their wealth and power.

Few records documenting the lives of enslaved individuals at Abingdon were created, and even fewer have survived. Many records merely list numbers of enslaved people. Behind each of these numbers lies a life worthy of rediscovery and remembrance.

Dr. Scott Edwin Taylor

****Archival research provided by Dr. Thomas Foster, Howard University

06/11/2026

80th Anniversary !

Transit Segregation: Morgan v. Virginia (1946).

On June 3, 1946, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling that significantly impacted the enforcement of Jim Crow laws on public transportation, deciding with a 7–1 majority.

In July 1944, Irene Morgan, a 27-year-old defense worker, boarded a Greyhound bus in Gloucester County, Virginia, headed to Baltimore, Maryland. Following the driver's instruction to give up her seat to a white couple, Morgan refused and was subsequently arrested, jailed, and fined in Middlesex County for violating Virginia's 1930 transit segregation statute.

The NAACP's legal team, consisting of Thurgood Marshall and William H. Hastie, defended Morgan by strategically focusing on the Interstate Commerce Clause rather than the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, arguing that state-enforced segregation on interstate travel imposed an unconstitutional burden.

The Supreme Court concurred, determining that uniform seating rules were necessary for interstate travel. Although Virginia and parts of the Deep South disregarded the ruling, prompting the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) to initiate the Journey of Reconciliation in 1947 to assess compliance, the Morgan case paved the way for the Freedom Rides of the 1960s.