A state historical highway marker will be dedicated at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 18, in Essex County.
The marker will honor the memory of Thomas Washington, an African-American man who was lynched in March 1896, reported Bessida White, president of the Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical and Historical Society (MPAAGHS).
Although the incident garnered substantial publicity, no one was ever brought to justice for it, the only documented lynching in Essex County. This marker will be one of a very few state historical markers that denote the lynching of a specific African American in Virginia, said White.
The marker dedication and unveiling ceremony will take place at the marker’s location adjacent to the fire station at 31438 Tidewater Trail, Center Cross. The public is invited to join the ceremony in-person or virtually. It will be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/mpaaghs.
There is limited roadside parking at the marker site. However, attendees may park at Angel Visit Baptist Church….
