Stingray Point Contraband: Enslaved Men Use Lighthouse As Safe House During Civil War

On June 19, 2020 (Juneteenth), Governor Ralph Northam announced the approval of an Historic Highway Marker recognizing the Stingray Point Contraband, six enslaved black men who in July of 1861 self-emancipated by turning themselves in to the United States Navy at Stingray Point in Middlesex County. See Southside Sentinel article here.

In April of 2012, Davaline Taliaferro hosted a tour of Stingray Point for members of Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical and Historical Society (MPAAGHS). The group stood along the shore adjacent to the site of the original Stingray Point Lighthouse. Then the group explored the exact full-scale replica of the original lighthouse that is located at the Stingray Point Marina.