Isn’t it remarkable how a final resting place can tell a story? Welcome to Cub Run Cemetery, an African American community cemetery in Centreville. It is a place of history and quiet reflection.
Cub Run Cemetery is in a secluded area. Find it at the end of the graveled Naylor Road. Surveyors found Cub Run Cemetery well-maintained. It is still in use. The families buried at Cub Run Cemetery were farmers and laborers.
Several interred at Cub Run Cemetery were military veterans. Their service spans from the Civil War to the Vietnam War. Many unmarked burials exist in Cub Run Cemetery. Cub Run Cemetery offers a poignant look into the lives of those who shaped this region.
Today we honor those laid to rest here at Cub Run Cemetery. We acknowledge their contributions to our community. Cub Run Cemetery stands as a testament to their enduring legacy.
We know that today’s Bull Run Regional Park was once Robert Carter Ill’s Leo Plantation. At 21, Carter inherited 65000 acres from his grandfather. He also took ownership of about 500 enslaved people.
In his early 40s Carter joined the Baptist faith. In 1775, he had a Baptist Church built. Evidence shows that the church may have been near this cemetery. He declared the church open to all including the enslaved.
Few records exist. Given that the Baptist faith was very new to the area, most white residents were Anglican. It’s possible that the church’s congregation were mostly African American. In 1779 Carter buried his oldest son at the Bull Run Baptist Church without a headstone. In 1804 Robert Carter himself was also laid to rest without a headstone in the family cemetery.
One of Carter’s enslaved was called “Baptist Billy.” Robert Carter II fathered him. Thus, he was Robert Carter Ill’s half brother. Carter called him “Black Brother Will.” He gave Billy the job of handling legal documents. Billy also collected rent from Carter’s white tenants and landowners.
His strong faith and close relationship with Baptist Billy led Carter to free his 500 enslaved. His 1791 deed granted freedom to the oldest enslaved people first. He also tried to give land education and supplies to help them build successful lives as free people.
Many of Carter’s former enslaved and their descendants stayed in the area. They likely worshipped at the Bull Run Baptist Church. They might be buried in this cemetery, which has been called the Harris Cemetery. We don’t know when the church closed. No records exist after 1825. Other Baptist Churches had opened in the area by then. Burials in this cemetery may have continued for some time.
Let us take a moment of silence to reflect on the lives and stories. Cub Run Cemetery is a reminder of Centreville’s rich history.