John Chavis

John Chavis is a Virginia historical marker in Washington and Lee University, Lexington County, dedicated 2006.

Lexington County · dedicated 2006 · In front of Evans Dining Hall, Washington and Lee University

Get directions ↗Start a road trip Historical trails

John Chavis (1763–1838), a free-born African-American veteran of the American Revolution was a native of Granville County, North Carolina. He was also one of the first college-educated men of color in the United States. Chavis studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1792 and attended Liberty Hall Academy (present-day Washington and Lee University) by 1796. The Lexington Presbytery licensed him to preach in 1800. Chavis returned to North Carolina where he taught free blacks in the evenings and white students by day. One of the latter was Willie P. Mangum who became a U.S. Senator from North Carolina.

Maps this old were drawn largely by eye, so places on them can sit miles from where they really are. The pin is ours and marks the marker's location today.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Example

The Articles of Confederation marker in Pennsylvania stands under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s.

What that marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years there.

From one family's 77-marker roster

Upload your family tree and TreeAlive finds the markers near where your own ancestors lived.

See your family's markers

Start with a tree file, a FamilySearch sign in, or a WikiTree ID.

Report a problem with this page

The marker isn't at this spotOur pin may be off. If you know where it stands, tell us.I couldn't find the markerWe record what the source recorded. We have not been to look.The sign reads differentlyThat would be an error, and we can pass it to the program.The historical map looks wrongThe period map behind the pin, not the marker itself.Something else

We may pass what you report to the state's marker program. Please don't include personal details.

Marker program managed by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

John Chavis

More markers nearby