Community History

ASHBURN’S BELMONT CHAPEL GETTING A HISTORICAL MARKER

The site commemorates the life of a local abolitionist who fought for equal rights for all people.

Ashburn is already rich with history and now another piece of that history is getting formally recognized with a state historical marker.

Next month, the ruins of the Belmont Chapel on the property of St. David’s Episcopal Church and School in north Ashburn will be the home of a new marker denoting its unique history.

The land where the church is located was purchased in 1836 by Margaret Mercer, an educator and abolitionist, who then proceeded to build a chapel on the site.

The chapel was reportedly built by slaves, who Mercer paid in hopes they could buy their freedom. The chapel was used as both a church and a school, and Mercer insisted that slaves and free alike would be welcome there and educated there.

She defied laws at the time that made it a crime to teach a slave to read and write. She was also active in helping both slaves and freed men and women make their way to Liberia in Africa.

Mercer died in 1846 and, for a time, was buried at the chapel. She now lays in rest at a family plot in Maryland. The chapel burned down in the 1960s. There will be a public ceremony at the chapel site (46300 Russell Branch Parkway) at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 9 to dedicate the historical marker and commemorate Mercer’s legacy.

Photo of Margaret Mercer from the Thomas Balch Library.
1 Comment
  1. Onjeinika 6 years ago

    Wow. I learned something today. Great piece of history.

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