ARLINGTON, Va. — Lomax AME Zion Church preserves one of the most significant chapters in Arlington County's African American history. Founded by formerly enslaved residents of Freedman's Village, the congregation traces its origins to 1863, making it the oldest extant African American church in Arlington County.

The congregation began as Wesley Zion Church, later known as Little Zion Church, within Freedman's Village on the former Arlington estate of Robert E. Lee. As the federal government prepared to close the settlement, members temporarily worshipped in the home of Levi and Sarah Ann Jones before purchasing a one-acre site in Green Valley in 1874, where the church has remained for more than 150 years. The congregation later adopted the name Lomax AME Zion Church in honor of Bishop T.H. Lomax, an influential leader of the AME Zion Church.

The present Gothic Revival sanctuary, completed after construction began in 1922*, is recognized as an Arlington County Landmark and is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register as the county's oldest surviving African American church building. Its adjoining cemetery preserves the stories of generations of Green Valley residents, including formerly enslaved men and women whose lives helped shape the community.

Lomax AME Zion Church also played an important role in the modern Civil Rights Movement. In August 1963, under the leadership of the Rev. Arthur W. Walls, the congregation welcomed activists traveling to the March on Washington. On the eve of the historic march, Martin Luther King Jr and Ralph Abernathy addressed supporters in the church parking lot before traveling to the nation's capital, where Dr. King delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech the following day.

Today, Lomax AME Zion Church continues to stand as both a place of worship and a lasting symbol of Green Valley's resilience, preserving a legacy that spans from emancipation through the Civil Rights Movement and into the present day.

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Whether your interest is in local history or you simply enjoy discovering places with meaningful stories, you will find that this is a museum that offers a deeper appreciation for Arlington's past and the people whose contributions continue to inspire today.

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FAIRFAX CITY, Va. — Founded on May 15, 1870, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church stands as one of Fairfax County's most enduring symbols of faith, resilience, and community.

Established by formerly enslaved men and women who settled near the Fairfax County Courthouse after the Civil War, their very first act of freedom was not to build homes for themselves—but to build a house of worship. That powerful commitment became the foundation of a congregation that has faithfully served the community for more than 155 years and during the era of segregation and Jim Crow, Mt. Calvary was much more than a church. It became a vital center for Black civic leadership and the fight for civil rights in Fairfax County.

Originally located near today's Route 123, the congregation moved to its present home on Chain Bridge Road in 1957. A Virginia historical marker nearby commemorates the church's early baptismal site on Accotink Creek, where members were baptized through the 1930s.

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ANNANDALE, Va. — Gooding's Tavern was operated by William Gooding Jr. (1768–1861) from 1807 until his death, and by his heirs until the building burned in 1879. Known as the "ten-mile house" because it stood ten miles from Alexandria on the Little River Turnpike, the tavern was famous throughout Northern Virginia for its fried chicken, peaches, and honey and served as a social, commercial, and postal gathering place for the surrounding community. The Goodings also operated a blacksmith shop and stable across the road. The tavern and the surrounding 2,100-acre property were sustained by the labor of enslaved people, and the site's African American heritage is directly connected to the community that later grew from it.

After the Civil War, Gooding's heirs sold parcels of land to freedpeople, enabling the founding of Ilda, a racially integrated community established by formerly enslaved blacksmiths Horace Gibson and Moses Parker near the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Guinea Road.

A Fairfax County History Commission marker commemorating Gooding's Tavern was erected in 2011 and stands just outside the boundaries of Pleasant Valley Memorial Park, across Little River Turnpike from the Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Campus.

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