Written By: Prince William Living
By Carla Christiano | Photos by Carla Christiano unless otherwise noted
Turning south onto Thoroughfare Road in northwest Prince William, my old Honda starts to shake like it’s
driving over a washboard rather than a road. When it smooths out, I pull over at Oakrum Baptist Church. I’m trying to find Thoroughfare, Stop 19 on Prince William County’s African-American History Trail. There’s a Sunday service and the parking lot is filled with cars, but I’m listening to Thoroughfare’s story narrated by Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry.
I drive on, wondering what’s left of Thoroughfare.
About the Trail
The African American History Trail started as a 12-site brochure the Prince William County Office of Historic Preservation produced in 2010. “Originally in 2010, we were getting ready for the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Obviously African American history plays a huge role in the Civil War,” said Rob Orrison, Prince William County Office of Historic Preservation Manager. During COVID in 2020, they included more sites and made it a digital tour. “In 2023, we made a mobile tour where each stop has audio, images and text. You can read it, you can listen to it, or you can look at pictures,” he said.
Partnering with various organizations throughout Prince William, such as the county’s Historical Commission, Historic Dumfries, Manassas Museum, the Occoquan Historical Society, Historic Prince William, and many local churches and community groups, the office identified sites they wanted to
highlight in the districts, ensuring that at least two were included in each. They wanted to ensure the Trail was “spread out across the entire county,” said Orrison.
“Each of these sites, and each person is a historic part of Prince William County, and in many ways have played a great part in shaping who Prince William County is today,” said Angry, who does most of the narration. “Each of these stories are time capsules into the history of Prince William County, and the
shaping of Prince William County. I think they all are worth more investigating.”
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