Bull Run African American Cemetery

Aug 27

Written By Sarajane Smith

Site Brief:

Founded: Late 1700s

Location: Centreville, VA

Additional name(s): Harris Family Cemetery

Affiliate group(s):

NOVA Parks
Fairfax County NAACP
- Fairfax NAACP Religious Affairs Committee

History:

The Bull Run African American Cemetery is located in Centreville, Virginia, within Fairfax County. Dating back to the 18th century, the cemetery lies just a few hundred feet from Atlantis Waterpark inside Bull Run Regional Park. Ground-penetrating radar conducted by NOVA Parks has confirmed 101 graves of both enslaved and freed African Americans; most burials are unmarked. The land on which the cemetery sits was once part of Leo Plantation, inherited by Robert Carter III, who went on to become one of the wealthiest men in Virginia at the time. Influenced by Baptist teachings and the beliefs of those he enslaved, Carter eventually turned away from the Anglican Church and its support of slavery. The Bull Run Baptist Meeting House was established by Carter III in 1775, which historical records indicate was located near the cemetery and open to enslaved and free worshippers. The congregation was likely majority Black. Records state that Carter's oldest son was buried near the meeting house, within or near the cemetery, in 1779.

In 1791, Robert Carter III signed a Deed of Gift to begin the gradual manumission of those he enslaved. Eventually, more than 500 men, women, and children were freed, and Carter provided opportunities for them to acquire land, education, and resources to establish independent lives. Many formerly enslaved people and their descendants remained in the Bull Run area, forming a free Black community that included the Harris family, whose ancestors lived on the land and are buried at the cemetery. Over time, much of the history of the cemetery and the community connected to it was largely forgotten outside of the families who preserved and passed down their stories through generations. Since 2022, NOVA Parks and the Fairfax County NAACP have held an annual Juneteenth event to recognize this history and commemorate the largest individual emancipation of enslaved people prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, ongoing research and preservation efforts are helping document the cemetery’s history, improve access to the site, and ensure that the stories of the people buried there and their descendants are preserved, remembered, and shared with future generations.