Fourth- and-fifth-grade students at Haycock Elementary School made the initial request, and on Sept. 21 community leaders gathered to unveil the second in what is expected to be a growing number of markers in the Fairfax County government’s Black/African-American Historical Marker Project.
The new marker is located at Clemyjontri Park in McLean, just steps from Gunnell’s Chapel, and notes the provenance of the historic chapel, located on land deeded by Robert Gunnell in 1879.
Freed from enslavement in 1851, Gunnell (c.1795-1890) was an African-American farmer who not only secured freedom for his children and grandchildren but also championed education and community support, Fairfax officials said.
“Despite facing attacks from local adversaries, Gunnell and his wife’s donation of land to the Methodist Episcopal Church resulted in the establishment of Gunnell’s Chapel,” the county government noted. “This building served as a religious and communal hub for the local African-American Methodist community well into the latter half of the 20th century.”
This dedication marks the second in a series of markers to be installed across Fairfax County, each aimed at illuminating the African-American experience and its vital role in shaping the region’s history.
For more, see the Website at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/topics/historical-marker-project.
