PATRICK CO., Va. – For Kimble Reynolds Jr., walking the grounds of the former Rock Spring Plantation is deeply personal. His great-great-grandmother, Kitty Reynolds, was one of more than 100 people enslaved. He told 10 News how it felt to be on the land where his ancestors once labored.
“You get mixed emotions,” Reynolds Jr. said. “But one of the things I focus on are the contributions that they made that have ultimately had profound effects, not only in terms of the local community but also the state and in our case, across the nation.”
He said his ancestor, Kitty Reynolds, served as a nanny for tobacco magnate R.J. Reynolds and A.D. Reynolds, who was born in the original 1843 plantation house.
The house has since been restored and is now known as the Reynolds Homestead, serving as both a research center and a museum. The historic site also houses Virginia Tech’s Center for Community Engagement and Historical Reflection. Reynolds Jr. chairs the Rock Spring Descendants Committee and through events like the upcoming Juneteenth celebration, works closely with Virginia Tech to ensure the voices of those once silenced are remembered and uplifted.
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“We’re just honored to be able to host the Juneteenth program here and to celebrate the ancestors and their descendants,” said Julie Walters Steele, Director of the Reynolds Homestead.
The Juneteenth event will include activities such as oral history recordings, hayrides, and tours of the enslaved cemetery, offering both a tribute to the past and a teaching moment for the future.
“This work is important to Virginia Tech,” said Steele. “Through a Virginia Humanities grant, we commissioned historian, John Whitfield, who identified 57 names of the 61 graves here. So, now we also have that information to share to more descendants looking to connect.”
Reynold Jr. emphasizes why the committee’s upcoming Juneteenth celebration is important.
“Many of these individuals who made contributions have, for decades, never been recognized,” Reynolds Jr. said. “Their names have been silenced. But this is a way we can lift up their names again and let people know that they were here.”
He said the event, free and open to the public, not only honors the legacy of those who once lived and labored there but also honors those who fought and gave their lives so future generations could live in freedom and celebrate Juneteenth.