Fairfax County residents hope to save historic Gum Springs community

GUM SPRING, Va. — Preserving the oldest African American community in Fairfax County, depends on the input of those with close ties to today.

The Gum Springs community was founded by West Ford, a freedman.  It started when Ford bought a 214-acre farm in 1833. Then later, in 1863, Bethlehem Baptist Church was established, and its leaders helped Black families own property.

"The Joint Stock Club, formed by Bethlehem minister Samuel K. Taylor and his deacons, pooled their money to purchase land so Blacks could start families and build lives," said Ron Chase, president of the Gum Springs Historical Society.

Gum Springs was also the site of the Harper vs. Virginia State Board of Elections case, which helped end the poll tax during the Jim Crow era. Only a marker of that exists now, and the worry is that historical structures will continue to vanish.

"That was the Black-owned John Grey’s Store," said Vincent Carter, president of the Gum Springs Civic Association, as he showed WUSA9 a now-vacant lot.

Carter says history has often been erased due to the lack of protections. 

"Ancestors put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this community," he said. 

Carter is working with community leaders and Fairfax County to identify what’s historical and cultural to preserve, including potentially a neighborhood's character.

"The study focuses on Gum Springs and areas surrounding Woodlawn Plantation," Carter explained. "We want to ensure developments fit the community’s contour."

Queenie Cox lives in the house her grandfather built in the 1940s. She opposes an overlay district and prefers designations. 

"And that’s one reason we don’t have an HOA," she emphasized.

The future of Gum Springs depends on community input. "

We want to ensure good outreach to let residents know their opinions matter," Carter added.

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