The Oldest African American Community in Fairfax County
NGSCA is a 501(c)(4) IRS tax exempt community organization that represents the residents of Gum Springs, which is the oldest African American community in Fairfax County, VA.  
Established 1833
Gum Springs is within walking distance of Sherwood Regional Library, INOVA Mount Vernon Hospital, Mount Vernon Governmental Center that houses the Mount Vernon Police Station and the Mount Vernon Magisterial District Supervisor Office and churches of various denominations to include Bethlehem Baptist Church, Harvest Assembly Baptist Church, St. John Baptist Church, Greater Morning Star Apostolic Church and Mt. Vernon Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.   
Note:  Although NGSCA is a 501(c)(4) IRS tax exempt organization, your donation is not deductible. However, your donation will be greatly appreciated! All funds are used for solely to support and communicate with the community led by a cadre of volunteers. So, please consider making a donation.
​
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Gum Springs Virtual Community Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.
 IMPORTANT:  The Civic Association has changed virtual meeting platforms. 
Click here to view the options to join the meeting
or visit the How to join a community meeting page under the Stay Connected tab.
​Does Gum Springs have adequate housing for the underprivileged?  Click here  to read a Letter to the Editor on page 4 in the Mount Vernon Gazette.
MVCCA passed the Gum Springs resolution that opposes Fairfax County option to purchase 7835 Richmond Highway aka Kramer property on September 22, 2021.  The MVCCA P&Z Committee passed the resolution on September 13, 2021.  The proposal is to develop Gum Springs Glen ll.  A proposal that would make Fairfax County the largest property owner and landlord in Gum Springs.  This would have the largest senior housing complex in Gum Springs.  Gum Springs already have the largest public housing complex in Fairfax County.  It should also be noted that Fairfax County does not consider their housing complexes as a part of the Gum Springs community. 

Gum Springs does not support Fairfax County's option to purchase the Kramer property as outlined in the resolution.  Click on the pdf below to view the resolution.
resolution_for_kramer_property-mvcca.pdf
File Size: 151 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Did You Know that there is a new
​Mount Vernon Police Station Commander
&
​Mount Vernon Police Station Assistant Commander?

Captain Brian Ruck was promoted to Major
Lieutenant Fred Chambers has been transferred to the Chief's Office
MAJ Ruck and Lieutenant Chambers have left the building!
Welcome Captain Jeff Reiff
Welcome Lieutenant Kevin Shaw
​It was time to thank the Mount Vernon Police for being great partners with Gum Springs.  On behalf of the Pastors, Clergy, Community & Police (PCCP), Pastor Johnnie Abram (Harvest Assembly Baptist Church), recognized the outgoing Mount Vernon Station Commander, newly promoted MAJ Brian Ruck; Mount Vernon Assistant Station Commander, Lieutenant Fred Chambers and Mount Vernon Crime Prevention Officer Marvin Goodley.
Thank You to MAJ Ruck, LT Chambers & MPO Goodley
(MAJ Ruck and MPO Goodley were unable to receive their awards in person on August 30, 2021)
Pastor Abram & CPT Reiff with MAJ Ruck's community award
Pastor Abram & LT Chambers with his community award
CPT Reiff, Pastor Abram & LT Chambers with MPO Goodley's community award

Is VDOT Listening???

Gum Springs Demonstration to Protest 13-lanes on Richmond Highway
​September 9, 2021
The New Gum Springs Civic Association would like to thank the numerous individuals, organizations and elected officials who came out on September 9th to support Gum Springs demonstration to protest VDOT's proposal to widen Richmond Highway to 13-lanes.  Thank you to Fairfax County Police--Mount Vernon Station for keeping us safe and the news media for covering the event.  Click on the media name to view the coverage by NBC4, WJLA7 and  Washington Post Online :
Click here to view photos and read about the protest on the front page of the Mount Vernon Gazette on September 16, 2021
Click here to read a follow-up interview by FOX5DC on September 15, 2021
​Special Sponsors
  • Jube Shiver, Jr.
  • Nelson Greene, Jr.
​Sponsors
  • New Gum Springs Civic Association
  • Gum Springs Historical Society & Museum
​Speakers:
  • Jube Shiver, Jr., Owner, Spring Garden Apartments
  • Ron Chase, Founding Director, Gum Springs Historical Society & Museum
  • Karen Camplin, President, NAACP
  • Sonya Breehey, Northern Virginia Advocacy Manager, Coalition for Smarter Growth
  • Jeff Gauger, Bicyclist, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling
  • Mary Paden, Chairman, South County Task Force
  • Michael Doyle, Founding Member, Families for Safe Streets
  • Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck
  • Lee District Supervisor & Chairman of Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Public Safety Committee Rodney Lusk
  • Virginia State Senator Scott Surovell (D-36)
​Supporters
  • Audubon Naturalist Society
  • Coalition for Smarter Growth
  • Families for Safe Streets
  • Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling
  • Greater Morning Star Apostolic Church
  • Mount Vernon Council of Citizens Associations
  • NACCP
  • Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation
  • South County Task Force
  • United Community
  • Woodlawn-Faith UMC

Gum Springs Glen Re-activates its Tenant Council

​Gum Springs Glen is a 60-senior affordable complex in Gum Springs owned by Fairfax County.  After being managed by Fairfax County staff for 20-years, the county hired an outside management company on July 1, 2021 to provide property maintenance services.  In the meantime, unresolved management problems continues to include no on-site maintenance person and certain activities that affects the health and welfare of the seniors and their overall quality of life.  As a result, the seniors/residents have officially designated the Civic Association as its Tenant Council instead of selecting internal residents.  

The Civic Association is working with the tenants to develop a maintenance request form and a process to have tenant input into the performance evaluation of on-site management staff.

Things Get Solved...When You Get Involved!
One Gum Springs!
The New Gum Springs Civic Association (Civic Association) embarked on a new community initiative, One Gum Springs to:
  1. ensure Gum Springs is one community and speaks with one voice and that voice is the Civic Association; which now may be referred to as One Gum Springs;
  2. protect the legacy of Gum Springs;
  3. ensure concerns of Gum Springs are not easily dismissed or usurped by another community organization;
  4. enhance its relationship with government officials and staff; and
  5. prevent boundary changes such as the one instituted by Holland Court Property Owners Association (HCPOA) for its 11-homeowners to achieve white privilege in a black community. 
One Gum Springs retains the vision of West Ford, a freed slave who founded Gum Springs more than 188 years ago.  The 214 acres that identifies Gum Springs boundaries have not changed since established by West Ford.   
 
Gum Springs is one community...a community not separated by race.
Please note that the Community Calendar is at the end of this page.  Scroll to bottom to view calendar of events.

SIGN OUR PETITION OPPOSING MVCCA & HOLLAND COURT

Gum Springs needs your support!  11-homeowners on Holland Court have been strategically taking action to separate Gum Springs into another community.  Gum Springs was founded by a freed slave 188 years ago.  The homeowners on Holland Court embarked on this community separation plan approximately 3-years ago.
Click here to sign our online petition opposing MVCCA and Holland Court
The struggle is not over.  After purposely choosing to move and live in a black community founded by a freed slave, 11-homeowners on Holland Court/HCPOA have taken action to sever their one street from Gum Springs to be identified as a separate community to exercise white privilege through residential segregation and racism.  Such action is nothing more than a methodically process to minimize the achievements of our founding father and contributions of certain Gum Springs residents and to eliminate and change the course of Gum Springs history.  Click here or visit page from top of menu on Home page.  Do not forget to sign our opposition petition mentioned above.
Things Get Solved---When You Get Involved!
Click here to Support Your Community--
Pay Your Dues and/or Donate to
Your All-Volunteer Organization

​Click here to sign up for eNews to stay current about Gum Springs
Scroll to end of page for Upcoming Calendar of Events and to post YOUR event!
Be Proud You Live in Gum Springs! 
Know who speaks and represents the Gum Springs community. 
​It's not your Condo or HOA or POA (C/H/P/OA)!!!
Changing your covenants, bylaws or Articles of Incorporation will not circumvent the fact that the Civic Association represents the entire Gum Springs community in matters that affects the Gum Springs community regardless of the C/H/P/OA standing.   The simplest way to avoid conflict and dissension within the community is to join YOUR community association in addition to your C/H/P/OA.​
Click here to view the Gum Springs Redevelopment Plan which is a guiding document for proposed development/redevelopment projects in Gum Springs.
​Click here to view the draft Gum Springs Conservation Plan submitted to Fairfax County during August 2015.  As of today, Gum Springs is still waiting for a response from Fairfax County Redevelopment & Housing Authority and Fairfax County Department of Planning & Zoning.
Gum Springs was not transformed from a "muddy hole" to a diverse community overnight.  The Gum Springs Conservation Plan and Neighborhood Improvement Plan were instrumental in what you see as Gum Springs today.
If you are "bounded" by Richmond Highway, Boswell Avenue/Schellhorn Road/Sherwood Hall Lane/Holland Road and Little Hunting Creek, you live in Gum Springs!
To list your community event on the community calendar, click on the Suggest an Event link below.