Researchers recently discovered 11 additional gravesites believed to belong to enslaved African Americans in Bull Run Regional Park, Centerville, Fairfax County, Virginia. These graves near the Atlantis Waterpark add to the 91 graves found in 2022 using ground-penetrating radar.
Chrystal Gaskins, a descendant of families living on the site, expressed joy upon learning about the discovery. "When I found out, I got it in a text, I was in a chair jumping up and down I was so happy," said Gaskins. The site was once a plantation owned by Robert Carter III, one of the richest people in the American colonies. Paul Gilbert, Executive Director of NOVA Parks, noted, "Robert Carter III was one of the richest people in the American colonies at the time, and he certainly knew George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and all the other founders. He actually believed when people said all people were created equal, that they were."
Carter signed a Deed of Gift on January 1, 1791, freeing his 500 enslaved individuals gradually. Gilbert highlighted Carter's significant moral shift, recognizing his enslaved half-brother as a sibling and integrating a church he founded in 1775. This emancipation was the largest before the Civil War.
Carter's actions had lasting impacts, including the establishment of the first HBCU and the donation of land for an integrated pool at Atlantis Waterpark by the descendants of the emancipated Harris family. "It's a very remarkable story that really should be in the history books everywhere," Gilbert remarked.
Gaskins' family, freed by Carter, thrived, acquiring property, running businesses, and establishing numerous churches. "When they were free, they were given options to rent and later to purchase property," Gaskins explained. She finds the discovery of the graves spiritually significant and is committed to uncovering their identities. "I won't give up in my lifetime continuing to research somebody here that we know," she vowed. Gilbert added that collaborating with the Harris family descendants and the NAACP has been a rewarding experience.
Link: KHQA
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