Just north of where Brook Road crosses Brook Run creek stood the rendezvous point for the largest U.S. slave revolt ever planned. On August 30, 1800, Gabriel, a slave from nearby Brookfield Plantation, called for hundreds of followers from across Virginia to gather there after slaying their masters for a march on Richmond. The plan called for killing the white population, capturing Governor James Monroe, and seizing weapons at the state magazine. The scheme collapsed when a severe storm flooded Brook Run and turned the roads to mud. The attack was postponed a day, but unknown to Gabriel, two slaves told a local farmer of the conspiracy just before the attack was to begin, and he notified the Governor. Gabriel and three dozen of his followers were captured and executed. Trials of those involved revealed widespread support for the conspiracy known to history as Gabriel’s Insurrection.
