Unveiling of special highway marker to highlight ceremony
A state historical highway marker ceremony is set for 3 p.m. Sunday, April 3, at Angel Visit Baptist Church at 29566 Tidewater Trail (U.S. 17) in Dunnsville.
The marker will acknowledge the church’s history and recognize its accomplishments over the past 156 years. This date was selected to coincide with the Third of April Emancipation Celebration.
This event, offered in Essex County for more than 75 years, is a commemoration of the fall of the City of Richmond to the Union Army on April 3, 1865, signaling the end of the Civil War and the institution of slavery in the United States.
With the exception of a 1994 celebration offered at Angel Visit, the celebration has not been offered in Essex County since the early 1950s. According to Angel Visit’s pastor, the Rev. Dr. Carla E. Lightfoot, “We thought that the dedication of the highway marker for a church founded in 1866 would be an excellent vehicle to bring this historic celebration first held in 1866 to the attention of the community.”
The dedication and unveiling ceremony for the marker, and the Emancipation celebration will take place on the front lawn of the church. The public is invited to join the event in person or virtually.
Speakers at the event will include Edward Gantt, president of the 23rd Regiment of the United States Colored Troops Reenactors, and the Reverend Keith L. Parham, pastor of First Baptist Church of Hockley, will share a church historical perspective. Also among the program participants are Angel Visit officials, including descendants of the church’s founders. Music for the event will be provided by the Essex High School Chosen Trojans, a student ensemble that consists of both instrumentalists and vocalists.
Angel Visit Baptist Church is the sponsor of the marker. The Board of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, which has the authority to designate new historical markers, approved the marker in June of 2021.
For information, email AngelVisitBaptistChurch@gmail.com or call 804-443-5977.
Text of marker
“Angel Visit Baptist Church, one of the oldest African-American churches in Essex County, was formed in 1866 when African-American members withdrew from white-led Ephesus Baptist Church after Emancipation. The congregation purchased land here in 1867 and erected a sanctuary, which they replaced with a larger building after acquiring an adjoining lot in 1893. Ozeana School, one of the county’s first public schools for African-Americans, stood just south of the church for decades. The church burned in 1917, and the present 350-seat sanctuary opened in 1919. In the early 20th century, students and faculty from Rappahannock Industrial Academy, a nearby Baptist-run boarding school, worshiped here.”
