West Ford facts for kids
West Ford (c. 1784 – 1863) was a very important person who managed Mount Vernon. This famous estate was once the home of George Washington. Ford also started a community called Gum Springs, Virginia, which was close to Mount Vernon. He was a man of mixed heritage. Some people believe he might have been related to George Washington, but historians say it's possible but not very likely.
West Ford was born around 1784 on the Bushfield Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His mother, Venus, was an enslaved woman of mixed heritage. She worked as a house servant for George Washington's brother, John Augustine Washington, and his wife, Hannah. The Ford family's stories say that West Ford’s father was President Washington. Most historians who have looked into this idea think it's possible but not very probable.
In 1802, Ford moved to Mount Vernon. George Washington had passed away there in 1799. West Ford became a free man around 1805. In 1833, he created the settlement of Gum Springs. This was the first African American community in Fairfax County, Virginia. He kept working at Mount Vernon until 1860. Later, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association brought him back to the estate. They cared for him during his final illness and death, even while the American Civil War was happening.
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West Ford's Early Life
West Ford's exact birth date is not known. However, Mary V. Thompson, a historian at Mount Vernon, believes he was born "about 1784." Records show his age differently at times, but they all point to a birth year between 1784 and 1787.
When John Augustine Washington died in 1787, he left Venus and her parents, Jenny and Billey, to his wife, Hannah. West was not mentioned in his will. In Hannah's will, written in 1802, she wrote:
It is my most earnest wish and desire this lad West may be as soon as possible inoculated for the smallpox, after which to be bound to a good tradesman until the age of 21 years, after which he is to be free the rest of his life.
This meant she wanted him to get a smallpox vaccine. Then, he would learn a trade until he was 21 years old. After that, he would be free.
Major George W. Ford, who was West Ford's grandson, wrote an article in 1937. He said his grandfather was a personal helper to George Washington when he was a small boy. He also said Washington took him to church and on wagon rides. West was taught to read, write, and do math. This was against the law for enslaved people in Virginia at that time. He also learned the skill of carpentry.
Becoming Free and Owning Land
Bushrod Washington was a judge on the U.S. Supreme Court. He was the son of John and Hannah. When his uncle George Washington died, Bushrod inherited Mount Vernon. He brought his enslaved people with him. This included West Ford, Jenny (West’s grandmother), Venus (West’s mother), and Bettey (West’s sister).
West Ford worked as a carpenter and gardener. He also became the main guardian of George Washington's tomb. Many visitors came to see Washington's gravesite. West was granted his freedom around 1805.
Ford had four children with his wife, Priscilla Ford. She was a free Black woman from Alexandria. Their children were William, Daniel, Jane, and Julia. They were all born free. They also received an education at the Mount Vernon Plantation. When Bushrod Washington died in 1829, he did not have any children. He left land to three of his nephews and a niece. He also gave West Ford 160 acres of land on Little Hunting Creek.
Starting Gum Springs
In 1833, West Ford sold the land he inherited from Bushrod Washington. He used the money to buy a larger piece of land, 214 acres, located two miles north at Gum Springs Farm. In 1857, he divided his new land into four equal parts for his children. At that time, Ford was the second richest free Black farmer in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Gum Springs Farm became the center of a Black community throughout the 1800s. It was a safe place for Black people before and after the Civil War. Ford later became known as the "founder and father of Gum Springs." Since it was started in 1833, Gum Springs, Virginia is the oldest African American settlement in Fairfax County.
Later Years and Legacy
West Ford was often featured in newspapers during his time at Mount Vernon. This made his personal life known to the public. In 1850, two Virginia newspapers, the Alexandria Gazette and the Virginia Advertiser, wrote articles about his important position and authority at Mount Vernon.
Another article was written by Benson J. Lossing. He was a popular American historian and a friend of George Washington Parke Custis. Custis was Martha Washington's grandson and George Washington's step-grandson. Lossing interviewed West Ford and asked if he could draw his picture. West told him he needed to clean up a bit. He joked, "Artists make colored folks look bad enough anyhow." After the drawing was finished, West signed his name with Lossing's pencil. Lossing sent the article to Harpers New Monthly Magazine. The drawing from 1859 can be seen at the top of this article.
When the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association bought the Mount Vernon Plantation in 1858, Ford became a very helpful source of information. He knew how the estate looked in George Washington's time. He had managed Mount Vernon for most of his adult life. He worked for George Washington’s heir, Bushrod Washington. Then he worked for Bushrod’s heir, John Augustine Washington II. After that, he worked for John Augustine Washington III.
When Ford became ill in 1863, the Association brought him to Mount Vernon to care for him. He passed away on July 20 of that year in the mansion house. His obituary appeared in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper. It read:
West Ford, an aged colored man, who has lived on the Mount Vernon estate the greater portion of his life, died yesterday afternoon at his home on the estate. He was, we hear, in his 79th year of his age. He was well known to most of our older citizens.
