Historian
Thomas John Chew Williams literally wrote the book on the history of Washington County, Maryland, and in doing so he wrote the first widely read history of slavery in the county. In 1906, he published his two-volume History …
Continue Reading about T.J.C. Williams, his History of Washington County, and Slavery
I’m warning you now, this story ends badly. But let’s start with the good parts. Early in the twentieth century, a young black man named Allen B. Wilson graduated from Leonard College, the medical school of Shaw University …
Continue Reading about A Black Doctor and an Abortion in 1941
In a joint presentation, Elizabeth Paul and I will discuss the challenges faced in saving and preserving Halfway African American Cemetery, with a focus on the contributions of many community partners, including volunteers, …
Continue Reading about Meeting Unusual Challenges: Friends of Halfway African American Cemetery
Christiana Kerfoot, known as “Annie” to her family, was born around 1846. Her father was the Reverend John Barrett Kerfoot, Episcopal priest and rector (headmaster) of the College of St. James, in Washington County, Maryland. …
Continue Reading about Annie Kerfoot at Smoketown Hospital: A Civil War New Year’s Eve
As Memorial Day 2021 approaches, for the first time in many decades—perhaps for the first time ever—flags will mark the gravestones of African American veterans who were buried at Halfway, Maryland. This historic cemetery …
Continue Reading about The Veterans Buried at Halfway African American Cemetery
In this free online talk, I'll be tracing the history of a lost African American burial ground in downtown Hagerstown, MD. The Ebenezer or Bethel cemetery dates from at least the 1840s and was the main cemetery for …
