Highway marker unveiled honoring John Washington

Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw cheers on the unveiling of the highway marker sign during Wednesday’s event.

A new historic highway marker honoring John Washington was unveiled Wednesday in front of the building where he used to live in downtown Fredericksburg.

The marker was unveiled in front of the building that now houses Foode and JON Properties at 900 Princess Anne Street. The unveiling followed a ceremony at the nearby Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall that drew approximately 125 people.

The marker, titled “Great Exodus From Bondage” honors the journey of John Washington, who was an enslaved man in Fredericksburg who escaped to freedom on April 18, 1862, during the Civil War. He later wrote a narrative of his life. Washington used to live on the second floor of the building at 900 Princess Anne.

The marker unveiling was part of Fredericksburg’s continuing efforts to better tell its full history, which recently included the creation of a Civil Rights Trail. Five additional historic markers have also been placed around the City since 2020 commemorating aspects of Fredericksburg’s African-American history.