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Gibbons House Honors Once-Enslaved Couple

Dan Addison

On June 10, nearly 200 faculty, staff and community members attended the dedication of the University’s newest residence hall, Gibbons House, named for two important African-American figures in Charlottesville history. The five-story dorm on Alderman Road will house around 200 first-year students beginning in August. The residence hall honors William and Isabella Gibbons, a married couple enslaved by two University of Virginia professors until their emancipation in 1865.

Following her emancipation, Isabella became a teacher at the Freedman’s School (now the Jefferson School), educating students for more than 20 years. After being granted his freedom, William became a beloved minister at Charlottesville’s oldest black church, First Baptist Church, before serving as a minister at Zion Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

Outgoing rector of the Board of Visitors George Keith Martin (Col ’75)—the first African American to serve as BOV rector—said at the ceremony: “Their lives are examples of the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity. Slavery did not keep them from learning to read. With the freedom that emancipation brought, they sought out and pursued professional employment opportunities and continued their education.”

The naming and dedication of Gibbons House is part of the continuing effort of the President’s Commission on Slavery and the University. Through several initiatives, the commission researches and recognizes the role of slavery in the University’s history and honors the contributions of enslaved laborers who helped make UVA what it is today.