Today, St. David's -- located on the site of Mercer's plantation ruins -- has reestablished the connection between Virginia and Liberia through mission work at a turn-of-the-century schoolhouse in Monrovia called Bromley Mission.

Mercer, the daughter of a Maryland governor, used her inheritance to purchase Belmont Plantation in Ashburn in 1840. She used the plantation to board and educate girls and ultimately included current and former slaves in her list of pupils. Eventually, she used some of her inheritance money to purchase the slaves' emancipation. She helped fund their trips to Liberia, a colony established in the 1820s for freed slaves and their descendants. Mercer, an Episcopalian, viewed slavery as "a direct violation of Christianity" and looked at Liberia as a positive and hopeful opportunity for former slaves.

Education became a crucial priority in Liberia. Bromley Mission was constructed in 1905 by Bishop Samuel David Ferguson, the first black bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States and the first Liberian bishop. With the oversight of the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia, the secondary school provided young girls with an education in literary and industrial arts.

After years of strife among different factions in the country, Bromley closed its doors in 1989 when political upheaval resulted in a series of civil wars that ravaged the country. More than 15,000 children were forced to take up arms and fight as soldiers alongside adults. In the aftermath of these atrocities, educating the youngest victims of war arose as a priority, both for the government and for the Diocese of Liberia.

Bromley Mission reopened in 2003 with a new dedication to give a childhood and an education back to the children who had lost theirs to the war. Today, Bromley educates and boards anywhere from 60 to 80 students at a time -- most of them orphans of the war.

St. David's vision

St. David's parish is dedicated to mission work, and one of its most visible efforts is rebuilding the Bromley Mission.

When parishioner Kingsley Obaji visited Liberia about three years ago on a business trip, he spoke with a local rector about the need for renovations, supplies, electricity and a clinic at Bromley Mission. Obaji brought his ideas back to his church. St. David's first mission trip to Liberia took place a year later. Others have followed.

Project goals now include roof replacement, construction of a library, dormitory renovations, construction and furnishing of an infirmary and repairs to the kitchen.

One of the biggest needs at Bromley is electricity. To get it, St. David's is partnering with Solar Light for Africa, a non-profit organization founded by Bishop Alden Hathaway, retired bishop of Pittsburgh. Since the cost and maintenance of providing electricity or a generator to the schools is prohibitive, Solar Light for Africa means a clean solution for providing solar light in remote places.

The intention of the Bromley Mission team is to work towards self-sufficiency.

Parishioners at St. David's say they feel certain Mercer would be proud that her legacy of education and charity continues. "She was really dedicated towards equality, recognizing the value of humanity and education," said Greg Troxell, director of New Ministry Development for St. David's. "For a lady of her time, it was amazing philanthropy."