A commemoration was held at the First Baptist Church in Mathews on Saturday to mark the unveiling of a state highway marker recounting the story behind the early 20th century exodus of black residents from Gwynn’s Island. The church was packed with celebrants, including numerous descendants of Gwynn’s Island residents, both black and white. Several members of the national press attended the ceremony, as well. Mathews NAACP president Edith Turner welcomed those gathered and thanked the marker committee “for everything they did to make sure the marker came to fruition.” She also recognized a number of people who attended the ceremony, including former state Del. Harvey B. Morgan and his wife Mary Helen, and Mathews County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. David Daniel, and Turner read letters of congratulations from U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and 73rd District Del. Leslie Mehta (D-Chesterfield). Maria Giddens, great-granddaughter of island residents James and Ida Smith, spoke of the history o...