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 and are placed in the sidewalk at the last known site of their enslavement. Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington’s research has revealed over 2000 enslaved people and identified 1050 by name.
Please join us for a Dedication Ceremony honoring nine individuals whose names are unknown, enslaved in the Woodmont neighborhood from 1850-1861.
When: 4:00 pm, Saturday, September 19, 2026
We will be honoring them at the Hendry House on the grounds of Fort C.F. Smith, 2411 24th Street, North
Their Story
Between 1847 and 1861, up to nine enslaved individuals operated a 70-acre farm called “Robin Hood” overlooking the Potomac River and the ridge of Spout Run in what is today’s Woodmont neighborhood. These men, women and children were the property of William and Elizabeth Jewell of Georgetown who purchased the land as a retreat, but by 1850 spent most of their time there.
The 1850 slave census lists William as enslaving six people, likely a family: a 35-year-old man, a 36-year-old woman, a 16-year-old girl, a six-year-old boy, a five-year-old girl, and a one-year-old boy. He also enslaved three women at his Georgetown residence. Property tax records from 1854-1859 show William held two people by force, one over 16 and one under. What happened to the 1850 family is unknown; they may have been sold or leased to others. Their names have also disappeared, because census and tax records did not document enslaved individuals by name, a cruel form of erasure.
In 1856, William died and his son Henry C. Jewell and his wife Elizabeth moved to the farm. On the 1860 census, they leased 3 enslaved people from other enslavers: a 70-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman, and an 11-year-old boy.
Very little is known about the people who cultivated the Jewell’s land, tended to their peach, pear, and apple orchards, and minded their animals and large home. Their extensive, uncompensated work brought wealth and ease to the Jewell family.
During the Civil War, Union forces occupied Robin Hood (and much of Arlington) and in 1863 transformed the farm into Fort C.F. Smith. The fort exists today as an Arlington park. The Jewells may have returned the three enslaved people they had been leasing to their owners or perhaps the three enslaved people freed themselves while under Union protection.
Help us celebrate and honor nine once enslaved individuals and gain a greater understanding of Arlington’s complicated past. Brief remarks will be offered.
Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington seeks to shed light upon these early Americans who contributed so much to the economic, social, and cultural development of our county.
For more information, please contact Jessica Kaplan from the Arlington Historical Society at ahsedlink@gmail.com.