In this photo from 2016, people place a wreath to honor the memory of enslaved people who were buried at a cemetery just off Route 7.
(WTOP/Liz Anderson)
WTOP/Liz Anderson
The annual ceremony, seen here in 2016, drew a diverse group in attendance, including those from Christian and Muslim communities.
(WTOP/Liz Anderson)
WTOP/Liz Anderson
In this 2016 photo, a team that’s working to preserve the local slave cemetery; together with historian Eugene Scheel, they dropped kernels of history during the brief walking tour between the former Coton and Belmont plantations.
(WTOP/Liz Anderson)
WTOP/Liz Anderson
In this 2016 photo, people were warned to take caution as they entered the woods near the unmarked cemetery.
(WTOP/Liz Anderson)
WTOP/Liz Anderson
The event drew a large mixture of members of the Muslim and Christian community in 2016 to commemorate the lives the enslaved community.
(WTOP/Liz Anderson)
LEESBURG, Va. — A gathering is on the way for history enthusiasts and Loudoun County community members to honor some of the county’s forgotten residents: slaves from two neighboring plantations.
Next Sunday’s oral history walking tour will celebrate the lives of enslaved people who lived and died on the Coton and Belmont plantations.
The Day of Reflection and Unity will begin at Lansdowne, site of the former Coton plantation, and will end with a wreath-laying at the Belmont Slave Cemetery which is nestled in the woods and hidden in plain sight across Route 7 at Belmont Ridge Road.
It’s part of the Loudoun Freedom Center’s work to preserve and share the county’s African-American history and to ensure future generations also connect with the county’s rich and diverse past.
Details:
When: Sunday, Oct. 8, 2 p.m.
Where: Lansdowne Town Center (Harris Teeter Parking Lot)
Email LFCInfo@holyandwhole.org for more information.
