The last dedication of 2026 is this SATURDAY, Nov. 14 at 2 pm. Many of you kindly pointed out that we had Sunday on the previous announcement of the dedication, which was confusing. Please take note of the correct day and help us honor the resilience of 7 once enslaved individuals and the importance of telling our true shared history.
Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington, 1669-1865
The Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington invite you to the unveiling of “Stumbling Stones.” These bronze markers commemorate the lives of the enslaved people who helped build our county and our country and are placed in the sidewalk at the last known site of their enslavement. Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington’s research has revealed over 2000 enslaved people and identified 1050 by name.
Please join us for the Dedication Ceremony honoring seven once enslaved individuals
In 1822, John and Ann Coseen purchased 109 acres of land along the south side of what is now Columbia Pike, between Glebe Road and Courthouse Street in Arlington. The Coseens relied on enslaved people to work the land. We know the names of several of these individuals from John’s will: Charles Coffee, Lucy, and Lucy’s young daughters, Susan and Betsey (later known as Elizabeth). John died in 1837, leaving the farm and the people he enslaved to Ann. Upon Ann’s death, the property and enslaved people were to pass to their daughters, Mary Jane and Ann.
Betsey and Susan grew up along the Pike while enslaved by Ann Coseen. In 1854, Mary Jane married William B. Lacy, and the couple took over the farm. Soon afterward, one of the enslaved sisters—although the records do not make clear which one—gave birth to a daughter, Lucy Jones. In 1859, Betsey gave birth to a son, Hanson Jones. Susan, who was then enslaved by Ann Coseen Jr., also had a daughter, Eliza. Susan may have died around this time, as she disappears from the historical record.
Beginning in 1861, the Civil War brought upheaval to Arlington as Union troops occupied the area, seizing crops and destroying property. For safety, Lacy moved his family, Betsey (Elizabeth) and her children, and Eliza to the District of Columbia. In 1862, the District abolished slavery, forcing the Lacy family to emancipate Betsey, Lucy, Hanson, and Eliza.
Please join us as we celebrate and honor. Charles Coffee, Lucy Sr, Susan, Eliza, Betsey, Lucy Jones, and Hanson Jones: Brief remarks will be offered.