Panel 23: “Reclaiming the Narrative: Rediscovering the Black History of Smith's Fort” скачать в хорошем качестве

Panel 23: “Reclaiming the Narrative: Rediscovering the Black History of Smith's Fort”

15th Annual Lemon Project Spring Symposium Panel 23: “Reclaiming the Narrative: Rediscovering the Black History of Smith's Fort” Location: Dogwood, School of Education 2:35 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. Moderator: Elyse Werling Faith Page Rev. Dr. James Harrison In 1886, four Black families purchased a large plantation along Gray's Creek in Surry County, Virginia. Aside from the hundreds of acres of farm and timber land included in the property, it also contained the remnants of John Smith's 1609 retreat fort as well as a 1765 manor house, then believed to date to the 1650s. By the 1920s, Bolling and Josephine Morris were the sole owners of the property, but it was highly coveted by a local branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA). By the early 1930s, the APVA owned the property, which they opened as a museum, "Smith's Fort". In 2024, the true history of that acquisition was discovered through archive research. In this panel, we will discuss how we rediscovered this unsettling history, and what the future holds for this incredible site. Panelists will include Preservation Virginia curator Elyse Werling, William and Mary Woody intern Faith Page, and community historian Dr. Rev. James Harrison.