Virginia Department of Historic Resources
(dhr.virginia.gov)
For Immediate Release
May 2026

Contact:
Ivy Tan Ager
Department of Historic Resources
Marketing & Communications Manager
ivy.ager@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6445

State Historical Marker Dedicated in Mathews County for Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island

—The marker focuses on the flight of all Black citizens from Gwynn’s Island after a 1915 fight between White and Black men—

—Text of marker reproduced below—

PLEASE NOTE: DHR creates markers not to “honor” their subjects but rather to educate and inform the public about a person, place, or event of regional, state, or national importance. In this regard, erected markers are not memorials.

RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) has announced that a state historical marker approved by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources was dedicated in Mathews County highlighting the exodus of the Black community from Gwynn’s Island following threats made against them by White residents in the early 20th century. This was the first DHR marker to highlight the flight of Black families from their communities as a result of intimidation during the Jim Crow era.

The marker dedication was held Saturday, May 23, at the First Baptist Church, located on 9654 Buckley Hall Road in Mathews (23109). This event was free and open to members of the public.

The dedication ceremony was officiated by Rufus Frazier, a Black descendant of one of the enslaved families from Gwynn’s Island. The program began with welcome remarks and a land acknowledgment given by the Rev. Isaiah Smith of the First Baptist Church. Edith Turner, president of the Mathews County Branch of the NAACP, provided greetings and an introduction. Individuals who spoke at the event were Ken Rutherford, chair of the Virginia Board of Historic Resources and DHR representative; descendants of the Black and enslaved families from Gwynn’s Island, including Maria Giddens and Elsie Williams; and Allison Thomas, a descendant of one of the colonial families that enslaved African Americans on Gwynn’s Island and the greater Mathews County area. The marker was unveiled outdoors following the ceremony program. After the end of the dedication, a reception was held at the Piankatank Ruritan Club, located two-and-a-half miles away from First Baptist Church at 7138 Buckley Hall Road in Hudgins (23076).

Gwynn’s Island was home to 135 Black residents—17 percent of the population—in 1910. Many of them were landowners. This community likely originated in the 1600s and had its own church and school. However, all Black citizens had left Gwynn’s Island by 1921. While some may have departed for economic reasons, the primary cause of the exodus was the racial tension that resulted after a fight among Black and White men in December 1915. Subsequent threats against Black residents led them to fear for their safety, so they left, selling their property under pressure and losing their community and the institutions they had built. During the Jim Crow era in the 20th century, threats and violence drove many Black families from localities across the country.

The Virginia Board of Historic Resources, which is authorized to designate new state historical markers, approved the manufacture and installation of Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island historical marker in September 2024. The Mathews County Branch of the NAACP (#7090) covered the manufacturing cost of the marker and organized the dedication ceremony.

Virginia’s historical highway marker program began in 1927 with installation of the first markers along U.S. Route 1. It is considered the oldest such program in the nation. Currently there are more than 2,600 state markers, mostly maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, except in those localities outside of VDOT’s authority.

Full Text of Marker:

Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island

In 1910, Gwynn’s Island was home to 135 Black residents (17 % of the population), many of them landowners. This community, which likely originated in the 1600s, had its own church and school—yet by 1921, all Black citizens had departed. Some may have left for economic reasons, but the primary cause of the exodus was racial tension that followed a Dec. 1915 fight among Black and White men. Subsequent threats against Black residents led them to fear for their safety. They left, selling their property under pressure and losing their community and the institutions they had built. During the Jim Crow era, threats and violence drove many Black families from localities across the U.S.

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