On Saturday, the Town of Poolesville held a forum to look back on its Black history. According to introductory remarks by Fair Access Committee Chair Link Hoewing, it wasn’t always a welcoming area for people of color.
During the Civil War, many residents crossed the river into Virginia to fight for the Confederacy. And according to research by historian Ralph Buglass, more than half of the landowners in what was then called the Medley District were slave owners. During the same period down county, less than 30% of landowners had slaves.
Still the region was populated by Free Blacks who helped establish communities before the war. Those include Big Woods, Sugarland, Martinsburg, Mount Ephraim, Jerusalem, Jonesville, and Boyds/White Ground.
While few people live in these communities now, they left behind a rich heritage of historic buildings, cemeteries and records. In Martinsburg, the Old Warren Church, a former schoolhouse, and a Benevolent Hall remain.
Visit the Town of Poolesville website to watch the forum in full.
