by gwffoundation | Aug 7, 2024 | Archaeology, Behind the Scenes, Daily Life in the 1700s, Developing America, Ferry Farm, George Washington's Ferry Farm, History of Slavery, Lives & Legacies
If you have visited Ferry Farm recently or follow us on social media, you may have noticed the construction of two buildings near the Washington House. These new structures represent ones that stood in these spots during George Washington’s time. Identified through...
by gwffoundation | Jul 24, 2024 | 18th Century Crafts, Archaeology, British Empire, Daily Life in the 1700s, Developing America, Fashion in History, George Washington's Ferry Farm, History of Slavery, Lives & Legacies, Washington family
Figure 1: Ferry Farm cowries Many readers will undoubtedly recognize these two artifacts (Fig. 1). Known as cowrie shells, these artifacts have become synonymous with slavery and serve as identifiers for the presence of free and enslaved Black individuals in the...
by gwffoundation | Jul 13, 2023 | Archaeology, Developing America, George Washington's Ferry Farm, History of Slavery, Lives & Legacies, Native American
If you have followed the news of our excavations, you will have kept up to date with our building finds. The past two summers helped uncover evidence of one such structure, which we now believe represents a corncrib. While the name may seem self-explanatory, we have...
by gwffoundation | May 19, 2021 | Historic Kenmore, History of Slavery, Lewis Family, Lives & Legacies
During the 18th century, the city of Fredericksburg was described as “a considerable town of trade, furnishing the country around.”[1] As such, it was deemed a rather important town and was the site of one of two schools for enslaved children established in Virginia...
by gwffoundation | Mar 11, 2021 | History of Slavery, Lives & Legacies
Most of us have heard of Phineas Taylor “P.T.” Barnum, founder of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. During his life, P.T. Barnum was a businessman and politician but was most famously known for being an entertainer. His name became synonymous with...
by gwffoundation | Dec 20, 2020 | Historic Kenmore, History of Slavery, Kenmore Enslaved Community Project, Lives & Legacies
“My Dear Brother, I wish you to give Howell some advice how to Proseed in regard to two Negroes that Runaway from me a few days before Christmas…” With those words in the early spring of 1794, Betty Lewis informed her brother, George Washington, of a difficult...
