African Americans in Brocks Gap

Learn the untold story of African Americans in Brocks Gap, western Plains District, on Sunday, January 22, 2023, 2:00 at Plains District Memorial Museum, Timberville, VA.

Even before Rockingham County was organized, enslaved African Americans lived in Brocks Gap. Their history is largely forgotten except for a brief sentence or two in a few family history books. Recent research by Pat Turner Ritchie found the names of more than 30 enslaved people who lived in the Gap from 1782 until 1865.

Ritchie’s research uncovered the names of about 30 free African Americans in Brocks Gap from the early 1800s until around 1900. Most were young children who were apprenticed to farmers, but three free families lived in the Gap at different time periods. Ritchie will focus on African Americans Andrew and Aggy Anderson who owned 147 acres at Bergton, were wealthy enough to loan money to neighbors, and were respected by their white neighbors.

The program is free and open to the public. Donations accepted to benefit Plains District Memorial Museum.