Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2023 February)
In Fairfax County, residents have gotten used to the constant redevelopment that is the norm when living in a thriving economic hub. How often do we stop and wonder about the history of a building being razed to make way for something new? Sylvia Taylor and Gloria Runyon, long-time residents of the Town of Vienna, ask those questions. They have dedicated themselves to discovering, documenting, and preserving the history of Vienna, specifically the lesser-known history of African Americans in Vienna.
Taylor and Runyon both came of age during segregation. Sylvia Taylor grew up in Queen Anne’s County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and graduated from Kennard High School in 1955. Named after educator Lucretia Kennard, it was the only high school for African American students in Queen Anne’s County at that time. After high school, Taylor was encouraged by her voice teacher to apply to the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore, MD, at that time an all-women’s college. Taylor was accepted and became the first African American student to live on campus.
After graduating with a degree in Music Education and Voice, Taylor taught general music at secondary schools in Chestertown and Baltimore, MD before moving to Vienna in 1967, the same year her daughter was born. She joined Fairfax County Public Schools, teaching general music at Flint Hill Elementary School from 1976-81, then Louise Archer Elementary School from 1981-2000, before retiring.
Gloria Runyon is a native of Vienna who can trace her family back eight generations. After attending Louise Archer Elementary School, she attended and graduated in 1961 from Luther Jackson High School, the only high school for African American students in Fairfax County at that time. Runyon went on to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., for both undergraduate and graduate school, majoring in Child Psychology. Attending Howard University during the Civil Rights movement was a life affirming and inspiring experience for Runyon and served as a precursor to what she’s been involved in her entire adult life – supporting civil rights and social justice.
Runyon also pursued a career in education, teaching at several Head Start locations in Washington, D.C. After devoting several years to raising her three children, she joined the staff of Georgetown Day School. Started in 1945 in Washington, D.C., Georgetown Day School was the first integrated school in the Washington, D.C. area. She taught first grade for several years before becoming the principal of the lower school (pre-K – grade 5) for over 20 years. Before retiring in 2013, she oversaw diversity education for the entire school. She loved working at Georgetown Day School, a place where parents, educators, and students all value and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Runyon and Taylor’s interest in Vienna’s history developed in different ways. Runyon’s deep family roots tied much of her own family history to the history of Vienna. Her interest was fueled by her grandmother, who told wonderful stories about her indigenous ancestors and people and places in Vienna. She was also the keeper of a large velvet photo album containing photos of past generations.
Taylor’s interest in history was also inspired by a family member. Her great aunt assembled a scrapbook about their ancestors, tracing their lineage back to Taylor's great-great grandfather, born in 1829, who was enslaved in Henderson, KY, but later freed. Taylor has the scrapbook and has made copies of it for other family members. The scrapbook inspired Taylor to create her own family scrapbooks, and other scrapbooks containing articles about local history.
Taylor’s interest in African American history in Vienna began when her daughter was in the second grade at Louise Archer Elementary School. Her daughter’s teacher asked Taylor to do a Black History report for the class. She chose to research the life of Louise Archer, the beloved teacher and first principal of the Vienna Colored School, who died in 1948. The name of the school was changed in 1950 to Louise Archer Elementary School after the Fairfax County School Board was petitioned by former students of Louise Archer and their parents. With only Mrs. Archer’s obituary as source material, Taylor sought out her former students and conducted oral history interviews to learn more about Mrs. Archer. After creating the report, she continued to research the educator, eventually creating a book in 1976 and updated in 1986 for the school, titled Louise Archer: the Educator and the School. In 2004, she was chosen to receive the Heritage Preservation award from Historic Vienna, Inc. for her work. For the school’s 75th anniversary celebration in 2014, Taylor updated the book with more information and with photos.
Taylor and Runyon knew each other for many years before working together. They were both members of Christ Fellowship Church in Herndon for a period of time, before rejoining First Baptist Church of Vienna. Both serve on the board of Historic Vienna, Inc. (HVI), a nonprofit public history organization devoted to preserving and promoting local history.
In 2017, both were invited to join a history committee to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of First Baptist Church of Vienna. Taylor was tasked with creating a riding tour for church members of significant African American historical sites in Vienna. After mapping out 17 sites to include, Taylor asked Runyon in 2018 to work with her on the tour and to expand it, knowing that Runyon was a native of Vienna and an expert in local history. The two added five more locations using information they gathered from oral history interviews and history books by local authors. The tour spans the years 1867-2006. During her research, Runyon also uncovered previously unknown information about her own family, including the burial site of her great-great grandfather. Of their collaboration, Taylor said “I’m so glad that she (Runyon) was willing and excited about collaborating with me because she is a native to this area. She can give an eyewitness account of what she experienced.”
When the pair began conducting the expanded tour for church members, Runyon’s knowledge added depth to the narrative at each location. She answered questions and shared stories passed down to her from family members, giving a better sense of the people being highlighted and a greater understanding of what life was like in Vienna in the past.
Once word got out about the tour, other groups came knocking. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax requested a tour for their congregants. The Town of Vienna’s Parks & Recreation department asked them to offer the tour to residents. Taylor and Runyon were also asked to give an oral presentation to the American Association of University Women (AAUW) at one of their monthly meetings at the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna. Large photos of each tour stop were displayed. They were also asked to do a virtual presentation of a portion of the tour at an HVI membership meeting in 2020. For the presentation, the pair selected half of the locations and had large photo slides of them produced, which they displayed while taking turns sharing the history of each location.
After the COVID-19 pandemic brought in-person events to a halt, HVI added the tour to their website – historicviennainc.org. The original riding tour of all 22 sites is available as well as four shorter walking tours that are segments of the original tour.
In July 2021, Runyon and other family members celebrated the unveiling of two historical markers in Freedom Hill Park recognizing some of their early indigenous ancestors. Keziah Hatton (Brave Woman Warrior) and her tribe burned down the first Fairfax County Courthouse in 1752 to reclaim their ancestral land. After this, the courthouse was moved to Alexandria, VA. A plaque marks the original location, noting that it was burned by ‘hostile Indians.’ Keziah Hatton Carter, descendant of Powhatan tribal leader Keziah Powhatan, repurchased 50 acres of her ancestral land in 1842, including Freedom Hill Park, the Carter Family Cemetery, and much of what is now Tyson’s Corner. She sold some of her land to family, including 10 acres to Robert Carter, Runyon’s third great grandfather. Another of Runyon’s ancestors recognized is Lucy Carter, a free woman who spied for the Union during the Civil War.
In 2022, Taylor and Runyon, in collaboration with three other HVI members, created an exhibit called “Vienna’s African American Trailblazers,” currently a hallway display at the Freeman Store & Museum. The exhibit highlights African American residents who made an impact and contributed to the culture and community of Vienna and beyond.
The pair’s latest project is conducting oral history interviews with members of their church who are age 75 and older. The project is being sponsored by a group at their church called SWAP (Seniors With A Purpose). The interviews will be compiled into a book and made available to members of the church.
Taylor is also reformatting her book about Louise Archer into a standard format so it can be published. She hopes that this will allow the story of Louise Archer’s life and work to reach a wider audience and be of value to former students of Louise Archer Elementary.
Runyon is pursuing several projects, including petitioning to have historical signage erected on property once owned by a family member. During the Civil War, both Union and Confederate armies took supplies from the property, prompting the property owner to file and receive reparations from the federal government. She and another family member are also trying to regain property containing the Carter Family Cemetery where many of their ancestors are buried, including Keziah and Lucy Carter.
Taylor and Runyon hope that their work documenting African American history in Vienna will open minds and change perceptions, leading to a greater appreciation and understanding of how the African American community helped grow and shape the Town of Vienna.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).