John B. Syphax

John Bryce Syphax (c. 1838 – September 8, 1916) was an African-American politician during the Reconstruction era. Born free in Virginia, he served as a justice of the peace of the Arlington Magisterial Board. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, serving from 1874 to 1875. Later in life he moved to New York City, where he settled in Brooklyn.

Life Syphax was a son of Charles Syphax and Maria Carter Syphax. His mother was the natural daughter of an enslaved woman, Ariana Carter, and white planter George Washington Parke Custis. Custis was the only grandson of First Lady Martha Washington, by her first marriage. Custis permitted his mixed-race daughter and her chosen spouse, Charles Syphax, to marry at his mansion of Arlington in 1821.

In the late 19th century, Syphax migrated north to New York. He died in Brooklyn, New York, on September 8, 1916, and was buried in Cypress Hill Cemetery in that city.