Agnes Carver Jones

History of the America Negro and his Institutions (Virginia Edition, 1917): The story of Mrs. Agnes Carver Jones of Falls Church, Virginia is a story of hard work and many struggles, but also a story of usefulness and of success.

Mrs. Jones, whose maiden name was Agnes Gilbert, was born in Centerville, Virginia on December 3, 1870. Her father, William Gilbert, was a farmer. He was the son of James Gilbert. The mother of Mrs. Jones was, before her marriage, Jennie Mellon, daughter of John Mellon. There is a strain of Indian blood on the mother's side.

Mrs. Jones began her schooling at the Centerville public school, but this was interrupted by the necessity of work. Her family eventually moved to Washington DC.

She has lost her father a few years back, and her mother was now an invalid. She went to school when she could but attended to her mother with loving care when required. She had at that time two things in mind. One was to become "a first class cook, the other was to be a first class Christian woman."

Mrs. Jones has been married twice. The first marriage was to Robert Carver in 1895. The second marriage was to E.J. Jones in 1919. By the first marriage there were three children, all of whom have passed away. The last surviving child, Raymond, was well equipped and educated in the work of life. He has grown to manhood and had reached the place where he could be of comfort to his mother. After the outbreak of war he went into training, but sickened and died before he saw active service.

Mrs. Jones early conceived the idea of a training school for girls and in this way has been the means of helping many girls to better their condition in life.

As the years went by she began purchasing property. She is now regarded as one of the substantial business women of the race.

Mrs. Jones was a pioneer in another important matter. That was in her protest against the injustice of the Jim Crow car. As a result she was imprisoned, but she made a brave fight, winning a victory for herself and for her race in 1911.

She has been a leader in all forms of uplift work. She believes the best interests of the race are to be promoted by temperance, education and the cultivation of race pride.