April 16th 2024.
Philip Cobbs, a resident of Buck Island, has a special mission - to preserve the rich history of his family's land. The land was once known as the Garland Farm, and it was the largest Black-owned farm in Albemarle County, Virginia. Sadly, despite its vast 600-acre size, there is little evidence left of the farm's existence. Nowadays, a mere path remains where commuters pass through on their way to the Thomas Jefferson Parkway in Charlottesville. But Cobbs is determined to keep the legacy of Buck Island alive. In an interview with Charlottesville Tomorrow, he shared that a few years back, he was surprised to find that Buck Island Creek was mislabeled on Google Maps. He was saddened to see that a place that held so many memories for him had seemingly disappeared from the map.
The Garland Farm was a true family enterprise from 1835 to 1972. Each generation would pass down the deed to a single family member, while others were given smaller parcels to homestead. This way, the responsibility of running the farm was shared among the family. Cobbs reminisced about his childhood, mentioning that there used to be many homes scattered across the farm. However, as families moved away or passed on, these homes were abandoned.
The farm was divided into three distinct sections - the woods, the elevated fields where cattle and sheep grazed, and the low-ground. The low-ground was a fertile floodplain where enslaved individuals worked tirelessly to cultivate cash crops. These crops were then transported to the market on batteau boats, which were crewed by enslaved and free Black men. Unfortunately, in the early 1970s, the family member holding the deed passed away without leaving a will. This led to the auctioning of the farm, and it was eventually bought by Westvaco, a paper packaging company. Some of the surrounding properties were offered to family members to purchase, and Cobbs' aunt and parents were able to secure small plots. The rest of the land was sold to a developer.
Cobbs also shared an interesting fact about the farm - for generations, Black women would travel from Richmond to give birth at the Garland farm. This highlights the farm's significance within the community. In 2017, Cobbs discovered that his ancestor, Sarah Garland Boyd Jones, was being honored as one of the "Voices from the Garden" monument in Richmond. Jones was an exceptional woman who passed the state's medical board examination in 1893, becoming the first African American woman doctor in Virginia. Her accomplishments serve as a reminder of the important role that the Garland farm played in the lives of many people.
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