The Maryland Board of Public Works approved the return of a small parcel of land that was an African American cemetery in Cabin John to the descendants of Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88.
The action, which was approved on Oct. 22, returns a piece of Maryland state highway land along an I495 right of way.
The quarter-acre property was taken by eminent domain in the early 1960s so that the Capital Beltway could be built. It may “hold as many as 26 unmarked graves,” according to Morningstar Tabernacle.
The State Highway Administration agreed to return the unused right-of-way land back to cemetery trustees.
Several organizations—including Friends of Moses Hall, the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites, and the Maryland Sierra Club—submitted letters of support to the Board of Public Works.
Community Reaction
“This important action by the state of Maryland not only helps restore sacred land historically connected to the cemetery but also affirms the cultural and ancestral significance of Morningstar’s legacy,” said Shannon Steward, descendant and Friends of Moses Hall board member.
The action took sixty years, according to Morningstar, which considers the land sacred for generations of African American families in the area.
A Rich Local History
According to the news release from Morningstar Tabernacle, use of the property dates back to 1880 when Robert and Sarah Gibson, who had been slaves, purchased the land along what is now Seven Locks Road in Cabin John.
During the next decade, nine other African American families joined the Gibsons and formed the settlement known originally as Gibson Grove.
In 1882, they opened the first school for Black children in the district. Three years later, they founded Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88 of the Ancient United Order of Sons & Daughters, Brothers & Sisters of Moses, a benevolent society that provided financial support to those in need, burial assistance, and community fellowship.
The society’s two-story building, known as Moses Hall, and the adjacent cemetery was the heart of community life. In 1898, the Gibson Grove AME Zion Church was established on nearby land donated by Sarah Gibson.
The Moses Hall stone foundation still exists as well as a few headstones.
Friends of Moses Hall members said they have so far identified 131 men, women and children who were buried in the cemetery between the 1880s and the 1970s.
A Legacy Restored
“This reconveyance represents an important victory: a recognition of history long overlooked and a step toward preserving it for generations to come,” said Friends of Moses Hall Board President Alexandra Jones, PhD.
The land was surveyed using ground-penetrating radar and more than two dozen possible unmarked burial sites were discovered.
