Syphax, William, 1825-1891

William Syphax (1825-1891) was a free black man and the son of Charles and Maria Syphax of Arlington, Virginia. His parents had been enslaved to George Washington Parke Custis at Arlington Plantation. His mother received on seventeen acre plot on the plantation, where the family lived. William Syphax worked as Chief Messenger at the Secretary of the Interior's office. Through William’s efforts, his mother was able to retain the rights to her Arlington property when the U.S. government confiscated Custis’s estate after the Civil War.

He was married to Mary M. Syphax.