Liberty wall: A fitting symbol

Charles Reichley
Published: May 29, 2008

The “Liberty wall” in Manassas is a pro-immigrant billboard at 9500 Liberty Street in Manassas City, facing the Manassas train station. It is 12 feet tall and 40 feet wide.

For some, the sign is a symbol of hope. For others, it is a racist diatribe. To Lawrence Hughes, the Manassas City Manager, “it is a matter of free political expression,” which is “exempted from the zoning code.”

I’m amazed a homeowner can put up a sign the size of a house, and if they include a “political message,” the city will allow it. If I lived in Manassas, I’d hope my neighbors didn’t decide to air their own political grievances by plastering signs on their houses and fences. 

But the real story is the property, which symbolizes the illegal immigration debate. The history of 9500 Liberty illustrates disdain for rules the rest of us follow, and disregard for the neighbors in the community. Just as people who enter our country illegally show disdain for our country’s laws and disregard for immigrants who come in legally.

Built in the 1880s, the house was an historic property in a historically black neighborhood. The home was purchased in 2003, and by 2005 there were allegations of building and zoning violations.

In June of 2006, the house caught fire.  According to the fire report, the home had been “converted into a rooming house,” and “the building was under renovations,” although there appears to be no record of building permits for construction. 

After the fire, the house sat half-burned for months. In 2007, the city started pushing for repair of the property. But by that time, insects had damaged the structure beyond repair. While the local minority community was outraged by the development, the owner was granted a 3-month demolition permit in April of 2007. 

The deadline came and went.  Finally, most of the house was torn down in September of 2007, leaving an unsightly and dangerous wall. It was only then, over a year after the fire, and well after the demolition deadline had passed, that the immigration sign was put on the wall, which the city claims was reinforced, again without a permit.

Despite the long delay, after the sign was installed the city didn’t try to enforce the demolition order. Instead, they requested the owner file a permit for modifications made to the wall. Those requests appear to have been ignored.

Nearly three years have passed since the original zoning violation complaints, and two years since the fire. The site still has the old damaged wall, and is surrounded by a chain link fence.  The property has hosted gatherings that may violate city rules for public events.

Two portable toilets and a structure were installed, apparently with no permits. 

I can’t imagine a homeowner doing this to their neighbors. And if it happened, we would expect the government to fix the problem in a timely fashion. 

But, just like those who argue for “undocumented workers” want us to ignore the laws and just “get along,” the city appears to be bending over backwards to not take action in this case. Rather than acting on the expired permit and demolition order, the city sent a letter giving the owner ten MORE days to apply for a new permit. The owner responded “maybe sometime in June.”

If government shows no interest in enforcing rules, people won’t follow the rules. That’s why we have over 12 million illegal aliens in our country, because our federal government did nothing to stop it. I feel sorry for the people living near Liberty Street.

The owner wants to build a new 270 foot wall, for the “community” to use to express themselves, and I fear the city will do nothing to stop it.

The Liberty property represents hope for illegal immigrants, sending the message that borders mean nothing, that people can’t be illegal, that each person has a right to live where they want without regard to laws.

But ironically, the property has posted “no trespassing” signs, and a large chain-link fence. 

The owner seems to understand the concept of keeping people from entering HIS land illegally. I wonder what would happen if someone cut through the fence, set up tents, and asked the owner to pay them to mow his lawn.

My guess is he’d have them evicted. As I said, it’s an excellent symbol for the illegal immigration debate.

Charles Reichley has been a Prince William County resident since 1981. He can be reached at critically .