The Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, is working to identify descendants of slaves who may be buried at a 17th-century Catholic family cemetery in northern Virginia so they can be consulted about how the site should be preserved and memorialized.
The Brent Family Cemetery, a plot in Aquia owned by the diocese since 1974, has been the subject of research and preservation efforts for decades. The diocese said it has facilitated archaeological studies and restoration work over the years to conserve the grounds and better understand the deceased buried in the cemetery.
In a statement released Feb. 19, the diocese said it is working with Laura Masur, an anthropology professor at The Catholic University of America, to identify those buried at the cemetery and to invite descendants into discussions about the site’s future.
“Masur’s research, undertaken in close collaboration with the Diocese of Arlington, is now focused on identifying the persons who lived and are buried at the site in order to understand the history better,” the diocese said in the statement. “Masur and the Diocese are now working to identify descendants of those buried on the Aquia, Va., land owned by George Brent in the 17th century, so they are part of the dialogue about how to move forward.”
The cemetery was established by the Brent family, who were among the first Catholic settlers in colonial Virginia. George Brent’s 1694 will names 25 slaves, including a woman named Flora. According to a Feb. 19 report from the Arlington Catholic Herald, Flora was buried within the cemetery walls, and a 1923 photograph shows her simple tombstone inscribed “Flora, 1697.” The inscribed tombstone later disappeared, and its current whereabouts are unknown.
Archaeological surveys conducted in recent years identified approximately 60 burial sites within the cemetery and dozens more possible unmarked graves nearby. In 2025, Masur led a weeklong excavation to investigate a rectangular underground feature detected by ground-penetrating radar.
Instead of locating what they initially believed might be the foundation of a building, Masur and a team of Catholic University archaeology students uncovered five possible gravesites marked by upright stones without inscriptions.
When it became clear that the excavation had reached graves, the team stopped digging and covered the sites to prevent disturbance, according to the Arlington Catholic Herald.
Because historical records confirm that the Brent family enslaved African American men and women, and because at least one enslaved woman is documented as buried within the cemetery, researchers believe some of the unmarked graves may also belong to slaves.
Masur told the Arlington Catholic Herald that identifying descendants takes priority over any further excavation.
“One of the things that I really want to ensure is that we sort of have a ‘big tent’ of dialogue going on about plans for the site,” she said. “We don’t just go out and dig.”
The diocese said it is seeking family trees, records, and oral histories from descendants of both the Brent family and the people they enslaved. Officials said the goal is to ensure that any future decisions about the cemetery are made with input from those whose ancestors may be buried there.
“Working with the Diocese of Arlington, we want to honor all those buried at the site, including members of the Brent family and the people that they held in bondage,” Masur said in the release. “That includes seeking their descendants and engaging in a dialogue about how to memorialize the burial ground.”