Alfred W. Harris (1853–1920): Attorney, Legislator, and Advocate for Education

WPA Slave Narrative: Interview with Mrs. Louise Jones (1937)

African Americans in Petersburg: Historic Contexts and Resources for Preservation Planning. This 1994 report, prepared by the Virginia Commonwealth University Archaeological Research Center (VCUARC) for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, explores the rich history of African American life in Petersburg, Virginia, from the colonial era through the mid-20th century. It highlights key periods such as the growth of free Black communities in the antebellum years, political empowerment during Reconstruction (including Black elected officials), economic contributions amid Jim Crow segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement's local impacts. Major themes include resilient institutions like churches (e.g., First Baptist, 1774) and schools, entrepreneurial businesses, and neighborhoods such as Pocahontas Island and Gillfield. Download the full PDF report (DW-017)

The African American Cemeteries of Petersburg, Virginia: Continuity and Change (1999). This report, prepared by the Chicora Foundation for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, surveys historic African American burial grounds in Petersburg. It documents cemetery origins, layouts, marker types, and patterns of use; traces changes in ownership, maintenance, and community connections; and includes maps, photographs, and detailed site descriptions useful to preservationists, local historians, and genealogists. Download the full PDF report (DW-034).

No records identified yet. Please contact us if you have data on African American schools, churches or community organizations in Dinwiddie.

Manumission and Freedmen records, court documents, land and property records, and other primary sources documenting African American history in Dinwiddie County.

The following records from the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Freedmen's Bureau) document labor contracts, rations, healthcare, and legal matters for Dinwiddie County residents post-Civil War. Searchable indexes and digital images are provided via FamilySearch.²

• Dinwiddie Courthouse (Assistant Superintendent) Records
• Petersburg (Assistant Superintendent) Records
• Petersburg (Subassistant Commissioner) Records

Black Confederates by Dr. Walter E. Williams

African Americans in WWI from Dinwiddie County

1853-1866 Virginia, Slave Birth Index, 1853-1866;^{1 2}

These transcriptions were created from the index compiled by Mrs. Sallie E. H. Short using ministers' returns found in Deed Books I–VI (reels 1–4) and the Dinwiddie County Marriage Register, 1850–1867. They were also published in the Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly (Vol. 8, no. 1–4, 1970). Access the Library of Virginia database or to view the complete transcribed Dinwiddie entries, or visit our pages with transcriptions Dinwiddie Marriage Records. This search displays a list of all the marriages from this database indicated to have taken place between free people of color.

• Library of Virginia’s Virginia Untold Project
  Description: Digital collections focused on African American history.
• Library of Virginia Digital Collections
  Description: Manumissions, wills, deeds, and chancery records searchable by county.
• National Archives – African American Heritage
  Description: Federal census records, Freedmen's Bureau documents, and USCT military service files.
• Chronicling America – Library of Congress
  Description: Search historical Black newspapers and articles mentioning Dinwiddie.
• Freedmen’s Bureau for Virginia (external)
  Description: Records of labor contracts, rations, education, and legal matters involving African Americans post-Civil War.