This letter was sent by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Historic Resources
September 6, 2023
Ramona Wilson, County Administrator
PO Box 839
Mathews, VA 23109
Dear Ms. Wilson,
The Virginia Board of Historic Resources will be considering a new historical highway marker for placement in Mathews County at its meeting on September 21, 2023. I’m writing just to make you aware of the project—no action is necessary on your part.
The applicant for the marker is the Mathews County NAACP, and the proposed location is 1549 Old Ferry Road, which will require the approval of VDOT. The text is:
Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island
The Black community on Gwynn's Island originated in the 1600s and numbered about 135 in 1910. A fight among Black and White watermen in Dec. 1915 led to the near-lynching of Black farmer J. H. Smith. Despite Smith’s questionable assault conviction and incarceration, threats of further violence prompted the departure of all Black residents, most by mid-1916. They sold their land to White buyers under duress, losing equity and family inheritances. From about 1890 into the mid-20th century, actual and threatened violence led to Black flight, land loss, and the creation of all-White communities in many parts of the U.S. In 1924 a Richmond newspaper declared Gwynn's Island “A White Man's Paradise.”
The board meeting will be held at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, Conference Room 207 (2nd Floor), 150 Slayton Avenue, Danville, VA 24540, and it will also be streamed on the Cisco Webex video conferencing platform. The agenda, instructions for providing public comment, and a link to join the meeting will appear on this page: https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/boards/
Please feel free to share this information with anyone who may have an interest.
A hard copy of this letter will follow.
Sincerely,
Jennifer R. Loux, Ph.D.
Highway Marker Program Manager
Jennifer.Loux@dhr.virginia.gov
