Flight to Freedom: The Fields Family and Freedom's Fortress, will be held twice on Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM at the historic Fort Monroe by Ms. Drusilla Pair, a local family historian and Ms. Ajena C. Rogers, a descendant of James A. Fields.  Mr. Fields was a part of the first graduating class of Hampton Normal and Agricultural and Institute (now Hampton University) in 1871.  The event is free to the public.

For more information on the Flight to Freedom production, click here to visit this website.

James A. Fields Trading Card

The National Park Service has created a trading card for kids in honor of James A. Fields (1844-1903).  The trading card is part of a collection of other cards to mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.  Trading cards must be obtained in person from a participating park.  Click here for more information about trading cards.

1900 Census - James A. Fields and Family

This is the 1900 census where James A. Fields was living at 617-27th in Newport News, VA, which is the current location  and address of the historic house named his honor.    In his household were his wife Carrie, and their four sons Sterling, Early, James A. Jr., and Lucius.  James A. Fields (Sr.) died three years later, on November 20, 1903.

Descendants of James A. Fields

Margaret Fields Johnson (sitting), a granddaughter of James A. Fields and Carrie Washington Fields, and her daughter, Margaret. The elder Margaret is the daughter of Dr. Sterling Fields who was the eldest son of James A. and Carrie Washington Fields. Mrs. Johnson’s mother was Katie Scott Fields who lived to be 109 years old.


Margaret Fields Johnson was born in 1914 at what is now the historic James A. Fields House in Newport News, VA. Her family moved from the house when she was very young. She is very pleased that her grandparent’s home remains in the community as a historic landmark and wonderful museum welcoming visitors to appreciate and learn about the many contributions of James A. Fields. Mrs. Johnson is most appreciative of the work of the late Gregory Cherry in restoring the house and for the dedication of his wife, Saundra Cherry in continuing the work of her late husband in preserving our rich American history.

Welcome to the James A. Fields House Blog!

The Fields House is a historic landmark and museum located in Newport News, Virginia and is named in honor of Mr. James ApostlesFields (1844-1903), who owned the house from 1897 to 1903. Mr. Fields was born into slavery in Hanover County, Virginia in 1844. During the Civil War in 1862, he and his brother, George Washington Fields, escaped slavery and found refuge at Fort Monroe, thereby becoming “contraband of war” by the Union Army.

After the Civil War, James A. Fields enrolled at Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (now Hampton University) in 1868, and became a part of the school’s first graduating class in 1871. After graduating, Mr. Fields taught in Elizabeth City County and in Williamsburg, VA. Years later, he furthered his education at the School of Law of Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he graduated in 1881.

Other accomplishments of James A. Fields included becoming the first black Commonwealth Attorney for Warwick County, VA (now Newport News) in 1887 and serving in the Virginia Legislature from 1889 to 1890.

James A. Fields used his property at 617-27th Street as his law office and primary residence until his death in 1903. This address was just one of the fifteen properties that he owned in the city of Newport News.

The Fields House is also associated with a significant event that occurred in 1908, when the top floor of the Fields house became the location of the first African American hospital in Newport News. This hospital was started by a team of four doctors: Drs. W. T. Forman, W. P. Dickerson, W. W. Whittaker, and W. T. Jones, who pooled their savings together to establish a hospital for local African Americans. Prior to the opening of the hospital, the city jail's infirmary was the only place in Newport News that provided medical care for African American residents.

In the year 2000, Mr. Gregory Cherry (1955-2007), a native of Newport News and a history enthusiast, purchased the dilapidated Fields house for $1 and then began restoring the house. The house was scheduled to be torn down by the city, but Mr. Cherry patiently petitioned the City of Newport News for three years to purchase the historic James Apostles Fields House. Because of the efforts of Mr. Cherry, the James A. Fields House is now listed on the Virginia Landmark Register, the National Register of Historic Places, and the Virginia Civil War Trails. Today, the Fields House gives visitors a glimpse into the lives of African Americans living in Newport News during the turn of the century