The 6.4 acres of wooded property was part of Ziontown, a Black community established following emancipation by Henry Pryor, who had been enslaved at nearby Ravenswood plantation. Ziontown, which means “heavenly place,” began with Pryor’s purchase of 5 acres and prospered into the 1960s, with about 50 homes and as many as 275 residents, according to research for a historical marker installed by the county in 2020 along Ridge.
The Board of Supervisors voted Oct. 28 to acquire the land in collaboration with CRLC. With a $850,000 grant from the county, CRLC acquired the property from Dan and Linda Wilson, of University Park LLC, through a part-gift and part-sale transaction. Then, CRLC donated it to Henrico, and the county conveyed a conservation easement to CRLC, designating the site for the perpetual preservation of open space and restricting future development. The closing was finalized Nov. 24.