The Robinson House - Historical Background

The Robinson House site was the home of a free African-American family, the Robinsons, from the late 1840s through 1936. James Robinson, also known as "Gentleman Jim," was a free African-American born in 1799. James and a slave named Susan Gaskins had six children, all born into slavery. Susan and four of the children were the property of John Lee, a resident of the Manassas area. Eventually, Robinson purchased two of his sons from Lee. The remainder of his family was legally entrusted to Robinson upon Lee's death in 1847. Robinson constructed his house in the 1840s, and the family made structural additions through 1926. The original house is believed to have been completely removed during the 1926 renovations. The Robinson house stood until 1993 when arsonists burned part of the structure.