May 30th is Neighborhood Day and Hall’s Hill/High View Park will commemorate its 160 year history beginning with this very special dedication.
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.” Placed in the sidewalk at the last known sites where they were enslaved, these bronze markers commemorate the lives of people who helped build our county and our country. Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington’s research has revealed over 2750 enslaved people and identified 1050 by name.
Please join us for the Dedication Ceremony honoring eight once enslaved individuals
- Jenny Farr
- Selina
- James Clark
- Infant of Selina
- John Lewis Farr
- William Farr
- William Sprigg
Their Story
In 1850 Bazil Hall—a native of Washington, DC, who moved to Virginia after living in San Francisco—bought 327 acres in the North Arlington neighborhood now known as Hall’s Hill. Around the same time, he purchased an enslaved woman, Jenny Farr, and her son, James Clark. Over the next few years, Jenny gave birth to three more sons whose father, Alfred Farr, was a free Black man who worked as a farm hand for Hall for a time. Their children included William Farr born in 1855, John Lewis Farr born in 1856, and Joseph Farr born in 1858.
The Halls were cruel enslavers. In 1857, an altercation between Jenny and Elizabeth Hall escalated into violence. Records show that on December 13, Jenny pushed Elizabeth Hall into a fire, fatally injuring her. A trial ensued and William Sprigg and Selina, also enslaved by the Halls, provided testimony. In February 1858, Alexandria officials hanged Jenny.
In 1860, census records show that William Sprigg, Selina and her newborn daughter, as well as Jenny’s four sons, were enslaved by Bazil Hall. The Civil War brought upheaval and eventually freedom to their lives. In 1861, rebels raided the farm and burned Hall’s home and outbuildings. What became of Selina and William during this period is unknown, but the Farr boys remained with Hall throughout the war and returned with him to the plantation afterwards.
Hall continued to use the boys as slaves, forcing them to cook, clean, and labor on the farm. Neighbors reported he beat the children and often left them unfed. The Provost Court, an arm of the military, tried Hall for abuse. He was minimally fined and the boys freed from his dominion.
Of the eight individuals enslaved by Hall, only Joseph Farr was traceable after emancipation. He moved to Alexandria to be near his father and worked as a laborer. He married and had children, before fading from the records after 1910.
Join us as we celebrate and honor William Sprigg, Selina and her daughter, James Clark, and Jenny, William, John Lewis, and Joseph Farr. Come 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.
Learn More
- Web: enslavedarl.org
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/memorializing-the-enslaved
- Instagram: instagram.com/memorializingtheenslaved
- Facebook: facebook.com/MemorializingtheEnslaved
