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). The markers are placed in the sidewalk at the last known location where these enslaved people lived. Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington’sresearch has revealed over 2,750 enslaved people and identified 1,045 by name.
Please join us for the Dedication Ceremony honoring two once enslaved individuals:
- Lidia: Born ca. 1810
- Harry Speaks: Born ca. 1827
We will honor them at 12:00 noon, Sunday, August 2, 2026 at the Intersection of 10th Street North and North Frederick Street in front of St. Ann Catholic Church.
Their Story
Lidia, born around 1810, and Henry Speaks, born around 1827, were both enslaved by Richard Southern who operated a farm on the grounds of present-day St. Ann and the Bluemont community.
Little is known about Lidia. She secured her freedom when Southern filed a manumission deed in the Alexandria courthouse on November 3. 1831. The circumstances behind her manumission deed are not known. The court records give us only her first name, but indicate Lidia was “mullato,” implying a lighter skin tone. Could her biracial parentage have led to her freedom? Without a last name, Lidia disappears from records.
Henry Speaks’ life is better documented than Lidia’s. He was born to Letty, a woman enslaved by Simon Sommers, and transferred to Simon’s daughter Eliza Sommers after his death. Twelve years later Eliza’s will freed Henry when he reached the age of 35. William Nutt, a clerk of the U.S. Treasury and neighbor, purchased Henry from Eliza’s estate and subsequently leased Speaks to Richard Southern in 1856. At the onset of the Civil War and Union army occupation of Arlington, Southern and his family as well as Henry Speaks relocated to the District of Columbia. Speaks secured his freedom with the emancipation of city’s enslaved people by an act of Congress in 1862. Speaks remained in the District after the war where he worked as a laborer and then a driver. The last known record of Speaks is in the 1875. He was 48 and living at 21st and M Streets.
Join us as we celebrate and honor Lidia and Harry Speaks 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.
