Lawsuit Over Cemetery Site In Western Prince William County To Proceed

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — A lawsuit over concerns of disturbances to African American and Native American cemeteries in western Prince William County will proceed.

The lawsuit in Prince William County Circuit Court is led by the Coalition to Save Historic Thoroughfare against Prince William County and the Farm Brewery at Broad Run owners. The coalition alleges the brewery made illegal disturbances to historic burial sites and cut off access to family members visiting graves. According to the Prince William County Times, the Farm Brewery at Broad Run owners had asked for the case to be dismissed and said the coalition couldn't legally sue. The coalition is seeking cemetery ownership or access, among other demands.

The burial sites are tied to Thoroughfare, a historic Native American and African American community. According to the coalition, the community was originally a Native American community but saw freed African Americans slaves begin to settle in the 1800s. Descendants of Thoroughfare's founders still live there.

The coalition has alleged that the Farm Brewery at Broad Run bought land that contained Thoroughfare's three major cemeteries and destroyed one of these — the Scott Cemetery with as many as 100 graves. The brewery owners previously told Inside Nova in a statement that archaeological studies did not show any signs that the Scott Cemetery existed.

In 2021, Prince William County bought two acres to protect the land from development and is planning a public park. The county says the land contains the Potter’s Field/Peyton Thoroughfare Community Cemetery. However, the coalition says the county eliminated descendants' future burial rights at the site near their ancestors.

Prince William Times has the full update on the lawsuit.