Latest news with #WilliamsburgBraySchool
4 hours ago
- General
Archaeologists unearth foundation of 1760s schoolhouse for Black children
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Archaeologists in Virginia have unearthed the foundation of a building from the 1700s that once supported the nation's oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children, William & Mary announced Wednesday. The university in Williamsburg said the foundation is nearly completely intact. Archaeologists also uncovered a cellar that is layered with centuries of artifacts, including slate pencil fragments and jewelry. The schoolhouse was later used as a dormitory, housing some of the first generations of women to attend college in the U.S. 'The roots of our city and university entwine here," said Katherine A. Rowe, William & Mary's president. "Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century.' The Williamsburg Bray School taught hundreds of mostly enslaved students in the 1760s. The school rationalized slavery within a religious framework. And yet becoming literate also gave them more agency, with students sharing what they learned with family members. The schoolhouse then became a private home before it was incorporated into William & Mary's growing campus. The building was expanded for various purposes, including student housing, and later moved from its original location. Historians identified the structure in 2020 through a scientific method that examines tree rings in lumber. It was then moved to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a living history museum that includes parts of the original city. The museum has restored the schoolhouse and is working to identify the students' descendants. Meanwhile, archaeologists with Colonial Williamsburg recently uncovered the foundation and cellar during a major project by William & Mary to renovate a university building, Gates Hall. The school's archaeologists are also involved. Tom Higgins of William & Mary's Center for Archaeological Research said the cellar is not lined with bricks and 'was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid.' Researchers have found handmade ceramics often associated with sites of enslavement and Indigenous communities, the university said. There are also items that appear to be more recent, such as a shard of glass depicting Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, war and the arts. From 1924 to 1930, the building housed Methodist women attending William & Mary. 'We know that the girls at Brown Hall were furnishing their dorms,' said Michele Brumfield, senior researcher at the university's archaeological center. 'So maybe they were bringing in things like this.'
The Independent
18 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Archaeologists unearth historic remains of American schoolhouse for Black children
Archaeologists in Virginia have unearthed a significant piece of American history, announcing the discovery of the 18th-century foundation of a building that once supported the nation's oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children. William & Mary University in Williamsburg confirmed the foundation, dating back to the 1700s, was found almost entirely intact. Beneath the structure, researchers also uncovered a cellar layered with centuries of artefacts, including fragments of slate pencils and various pieces of jewellery, offering a tangible link to the past. The historic schoolhouse later transitioned into a dormitory, providing accommodation for some of the pioneering generations of women to attend college in the United States, further cementing its multifaceted historical significance. 'The roots of our city and university entwine here," said Katherine A. Rowe, William & Mary's president. "Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century.' The Williamsburg Bray School taught hundreds of mostly enslaved students in the 1760s. The school rationalized slavery within a religious framework. And yet becoming literate also gave them more agency, with students sharing what they learned with family members. The schoolhouse then became a private home before it was incorporated into William & Mary's growing campus. The building was expanded for various purposes, including student housing, and later moved from its original location. Historians identified the structure in 2020 through a scientific method that examines tree rings in lumber. It was then moved to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a living history museum that includes parts of the original city. The museum has restored the schoolhouse and is working to identify the students' descendants. Meanwhile, archaeologists with Colonial Williamsburg recently uncovered the foundation and cellar during a major project by William & Mary to renovate a university building, Gates Hall. The school's archaeologists are also involved. Tom Higgins of William & Mary's Center for Archaeological Research said the cellar is not lined with bricks and 'was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid.' Researchers have found handmade ceramics often associated with sites of enslavement and Indigenous communities, the university said. There are also items that appear to be more recent, such as a shard of glass depicting Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, war and the arts. From 1924 to 1930, the building housed Methodist women attending William & Mary. 'We know that the girls at Brown Hall were furnishing their dorms,' said Michele Brumfield, senior researcher at the university's archaeological center. 'So maybe they were bringing in things like this.'
Winnipeg Free Press
18 hours ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Archaeologists unearth foundation of 1760s schoolhouse for Black children
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Archaeologists in Virginia have unearthed the foundation of a building from the 1700s that once supported the nation's oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children, William & Mary announced Wednesday. The university in Williamsburg said the foundation is nearly completely intact. Archaeologists also uncovered a cellar that is layered with centuries of artifacts, including slate pencil fragments and jewelry. The schoolhouse was later used as a dormitory, housing some of the first generations of women to attend college in the U.S. 'The roots of our city and university entwine here,' said Katherine A. Rowe, William & Mary's president. 'Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century.' The Williamsburg Bray School taught hundreds of mostly enslaved students in the 1760s. The school rationalized slavery within a religious framework. And yet becoming literate also gave them more agency, with students sharing what they learned with family members. The schoolhouse then became a private home before it was incorporated into William & Mary's growing campus. The building was expanded for various purposes, including student housing, and later moved from its original location. Historians identified the structure in 2020 through a scientific method that examines tree rings in lumber. It was then moved to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a living history museum that includes parts of the original city. The museum has restored the schoolhouse and is working to identify the students' descendants. Meanwhile, archaeologists with Colonial Williamsburg recently uncovered the foundation and cellar during a major project by William & Mary to renovate a university building, Gates Hall. The school's archaeologists are also involved. Tom Higgins of William & Mary's Center for Archaeological Research said the cellar is not lined with bricks and 'was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid.' Researchers have found handmade ceramics often associated with sites of enslavement and Indigenous communities, the university said. There are also items that appear to be more recent, such as a shard of glass depicting Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, war and the arts. From 1924 to 1930, the building housed Methodist women attending William & Mary. 'We know that the girls at Brown Hall were furnishing their dorms,' said Michele Brumfield, senior researcher at the university's archaeological center. 'So maybe they were bringing in things like this.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Digging Backwards Through History Lights the Way Forward
'Groundbreaking' archaeological discoveries at W&M provide a deeper understanding and connection to the historic Williamsburg Bray School WILLIAMSBURG, Va., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Beneath William & Mary's Robert M. Gates Hall, archaeologists this summer uncovered a remarkable find: the near-complete 18th-century foundation of the Williamsburg Bray School. The Bray School, one of the oldest known institutions in North America dedicated to the education of enslaved and free Black children, operated on the site from 1760 to 1765. Its foundations were thought to be only partially intact. Researchers also discovered a previously undocumented cellar, layered with centuries of artifacts. The discoveries provide a new portal into the site's past, providing a more complete story of the Williamsburg Bray School, its scholars and their impact. "As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, William & Mary is embracing its role as a steward of the nation's origin stories – and as a catalyst for their expansion," said W&M President Katherine A. Rowe. "The discovery of this cellar is thrilling," Rowe added. "The roots of our city and university entwine here. Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century." Layered with history The foundation and cellar discoveries were first made early this spring by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (CWF) archaeologists conducting preliminary investigations for the Gates Hall renovation project. The W&M Real Estate Foundation is managing the renovation and expansion on behalf of the W&M Foundation. Since the spring, the W&M Center for Archaeological Research (the Center), under the leadership of Elizabeth J. Monroe and David Lewes, has expanded the excavation and led artifact recovery. The cellar is sizeable: approximately 36 by 18 feet. Two distinct levels are emerging. The Center team has exposed the bottom of the cellar almost eighteen inches higher than the previous depth found by the CWF team. "It looks like the cellar was a partial cellar, and had different floor levels potentially," said Center Project Archaeologist Tom Higgins. "It's not a brick-lined cellar – it was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid." In addition to the foundation and cellar, their work is revealing a rich archaeological story that stretches from the 18th century to the mid-20th century: jewelry, slate pencil fragments, sherds of pottery and vases, buttons – the stuff of everyday life, the ephemera of history. Each excavated layer reveals more discoveries. Among the recovered items are fragments of colonoware pottery – handmade ceramics often associated with sites of enslavement and Indigenous communities – as well as sherds of Greek Revival ceramics, glass, and decorative items linked to the women who lived in Brown Hall during the early 1900s. Before it was moved down Prince George Street in 1930, the original Williamsburg Bray School building housed Methodist women attending William & Mary from 1924-1930. These students were among the first generations of women to attend college in the U.S. The significance of these discoveries is amplified by the site's connection to the Williamsburg Bray School. A favorite recovery of the team is a sherd of glass depicting Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, war and the arts. The Minerva sherd juxtaposes with a piece of late 19th century or early 20th century flatware, painted with a Greek meandros pattern. "We know that the girls at Brown Hall were furnishing their dorms," Michele L. Brumfield, senior researcher at the Center, said. "So maybe they were bringing in things like this." The team is careful not to draw too many conclusions from what they are finding – yet. "It's early days," Monroe added. Once bagged and labeled, artifacts will travel to the lab at the Center for further study. Spaces of engagement Plans are underway to incorporate the archaeological discoveries, as well as photographs and other documents, into a permanent exhibit inside Gates Hall. The exhibit will be co-curated with members of the Williamsburg Bray School Descendant Community and other stakeholders. Their stories – once lost to the recesses of the cellar – will enlighten students and visitors. Other artifacts will be lent to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where they will join additional items connected to the site for display at the Colin G. and Nancy N. Campbell Archaeology Center, scheduled to open in 2026. At Gates Hall, the intention is to outline the foundation of the original Bray School on the floor and, if possible, excavate a portion for display in the exhibit – reminders of the lives lived on the site. The renovation at Gates Hall, made possible by a $30 million gift from an anonymous alumna, represents William & Mary's commitment to addressing 21st-century challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. The building will house the Global Research Institute, the Institute for Integrative Conservation and the Whole of Government Center of Excellence. Ann Marie Stock, presidential liaison for Strategic Cultural Partnerships, leads the collaborative efforts related to the exhibit. She envisions a portal which will shed light on those who traversed the site over centuries: "foragers and farmers, singers and soldiers, clerks and clergy, dancers, drummers, weavers, writers, teachers, learners, and so many others, all belonged to this community through the years." Maureen Elgersman Lee, director of the W&M Bray School Lab, part of Strategic Cultural Partnerships, sees new directions for her team's research: "This is exciting," she said. "What else are we about to learn? We are not done understanding the history of the Williamsburg Bray School, the history of Black education. We are not done learning the history of this area, and we are certainly not done learning the history of this country." View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE William & Mary Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
