N. Va. Coalition Files Suit Against Prince William County and Developer Over Desecration of Historic Virginia African American and Native American Cemetery
(THOROUGHFARE, VA, 10/10/22) – The Coalition to Save Historic Thoroughfare has filed a lawsuit against International Investments, LLC (IIL), Virginia’s Prince William County, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and County Executive Elijah Johnson “for their deliberate and egregious actions in the failure to protect and eventual desecration of a private, historically recognized, protected, and culturally significant cemetery belonging to the families of freed slaves and indigenous Native Americans – the Scott Cemetery.” NOTE: International Investments, LLC is also known as “The Farm Brewery at Broad Run.”
That suit, filed by Frank Washington, a descendant of the Scott family, says the county and its board of supervisors “through their neglect and dereliction of duty, have caused the Scott Cemetery to be wrongfully foreclosed upon and conveyed to IIL as a result of an unlawful tax sale.”
It states that “Defendants’ actions (and inaction) in this matter are all the more egregious when the racial history of the area and the historical treatment of African American freed slaves and Native Americans therein are taken into account. Defendants’ actions (and inaction) echo the morally repugnant yet once-common belief that these people were insignificant and without worth.”
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a “judgment declaring the existence and boundaries of the Scott Cemetery, as well as its status as a historical preservation site” and a “permanent injunction directing Defendants to cease any activity that disturbs, removes, or otherwise affects the Scott Cemetery.”
FOR A COPY OF LAWSUIT EMAIL: qrashid@loriumlaw.com
[NOTE: This event is part of a nationwide effort by local communities seeking to protect historic Black and Native American cemeteries.]
BACKGROUND:
Thoroughfare is a historic Native American and African American community with roots going back hundreds of years. Originally a Native American community, during the 1800s African-Americans began to settle there and a vibrant mixed-race community was established. The town of Thoroughfare was thus established and settled by freed African-American slaves and Native Americans. Homes and family cemeteries in this community date back to 1860 and earlier. Descendants of freed slaves and Native Americans still live in Thoroughfare. Today, Thoroughfare is centered around Oakrum Baptist Church, and the descendants of the founders still call Thoroughfare home.
In early 2021, developers purchased land from Prince William County containing the three major Thoroughfare cemeteries. The developers subsequently destroyed the Scott Cemetery, blocked access to the Potters Field Cemetery, and threatened the Fields/Allen Cemetery with development. In response, the Coalition to Save Historic Thoroughfare formed to protect the cemeteries and to preserve the history of Thoroughfare.
Recently, The Prince William Board of County Supervisors agreed to purchase a two-acre parcel to begin the process of preserving the heritage of the Thoroughfare community.
SEE: Prince William Co. approves historic district land purchase for future park
