BURKE, Va. — Like many municipal names in Virginia, the namesake of the unincorporated town of Burke was a slave owner, leading some to speculate whether the time has come to change the name.
Burke, Virginia sits 20 miles west of D.C. in Fairfax County. There isn’t a "Welcome to Burke" sign or even a town center. You will know you are there, because many of the streets, shopping centers and schools have the name Burke on them.
“I bet 90% of people [who live here] have never heard the name Silas Burke,” neighbor David Martosko explained.
Martosko has and he feels like an expert on the subject. The 20-year resident of Burke said there is more to the town’s namesake than being an early, prominent Fairfax County politician and businessman.
“Below the surface he was really prolific enslaver of people,” he said. “This guy bought children- a lot of them.”
For months, Martosko pored over 19th-century documents he found in state and county archives. He found purchase agreements that showed Silas Burke buying and selling enslaved people. He went through census data showing how many slaves Burke owned.
“You couldn’t cancel Silas Burke if you tried, but I’m not trying to,” Martosko said. “I want his name juxtaposed next to Fenton’s name -- the first child he purchased.”
Martosko is proposing renaming Burke as the town of Fenton, but keeping the street names and shopping center names in order to force a conversation.
“I want children of the future to say, ‘Mom, Dad, why is everything around here Burke? We live in Fenton, what’s that about?’” he explained. “And the parents to say, ‘Oh well, let me tell you. If the town mascot name changes to a tree or bird, this was all a waste of time."
Despite the name Burke labeled on so many neighborhoods and streets, there is no official town. The name "Burke" really only exists on maps.
The decision on Martosko's petition for a name change won’t go before a local or state body -- it rests with the U.S. Board of Geographic Names.
“They’re gonna come to Virginia and ask these people, 'what do you think, should the name change?'” he explained.
If you’re wondering, does Martosko want to change all the municipal names ascribed to slaveowners, like George Washington or George Mason, he says no.
“We’ve decided as a group of people that their accomplishments outweigh their sins,” he said. “I can’t say the same for Silas Burke.”
Online, Martosko's quest has gained momentum. There’s increased traffic to his website, The Fenton Project. Donations have started to roll in, but he wants to remind everyone it’s not about erasing history. His goal is to lift up the nameless thousands of enslaved children forgotten in Virginia.
“There is no memorial in this country for the child slaves,” he said. “We don’t think about them.”
Martosko said by the end of the month he will start hosting public meetings. He said he isn’t worried about opposition, and welcomes the conversation.
Do you have a news tip on this story or any other story? We want to hear from you. Tell us about it by emailing newstips@wusa9.com.
MORE WAYS TO GET WUSA9
DOWNLOAD THE WUSA9 APP
Apple App Store: WUSA9 News on Apple
Google Play Store: WUSA9 News on Android
HOW TO ADD THE FREE WUSA9+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for WUSA9.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "WUSA9" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE WUSA9 NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to our daily WUSA9 Newsletter for top stories from WUSA9 curated daily just for you. Get content and information right now for can’t-miss stories, Commanders content, weather, and more delivered right to your inbox.