Alexandria, Virginia

"We need to learn the stories that have contributed to our collective story”

Anthony W. Marx, NY Public Library President

            Many places become renowned because of the individuals who pass through or call it home, having significant impact as they go. Alexandria, Virginia’s place in history was instead insured by its geographic placement and the events and people drawn there by historic events and circumstances. The earliest instances of human habitation were circa 11,000 BC, as evidenced by a Clovis Point displayed in the Alexandria Archaeology Museum on the Torpedo Factory’s third floor. #Visitalexandria

                  The region was settled in the 1600s and after repeated attacks by the Susquehanna Indians a fort was built in 1676. Alexandria began as an inspection warehouse in 1732 used to monitor the quality of tobacco exported to England from her colonies. In 1748 it was decided to establish a town around the warehouse. A 16-year-old George Washington was hired to assist in mapping the area. In 1749 the town was founded, Washington remapped the city with a street grid and the town was named after Scottish founder John Alexander. By the 1750s it was the Potomac’s shipping center and in 1779 it was designated an official port of entry for foreign ships and completion of customs documents and inspections. @AlexandriaVA

            The first federal census, collected in 1790, revealed there were already 59 free blacks and 448 enslaved living in Alexandria. The lives of African Americans were never marginalized in the city, enslaved or free. Their stories, while unique, showcase a microcosm of black life from the founding of the country to the present. To enhance visitors’ ability to more fully engage with the black experience Visit Alexandria has created “Courageous Journey,” A guide to Alexandria’s African American History.

                  The Old Town Farmer’s Market is the oldest market in the same location in the country. It opened in 1753 and was used by both black and white vendors.

                  Gadsby’s Tavern, the oldest in Alexandria, opened in 1792 and was a favorite of the first five presidents. Meals are presented by period-clad servers and tours of Gadsby’s Tavern Museum are offered. Tours include the stories of all social classes that visited or worked at the restaurant. An inventory listed 11 enslaved workers. gadsbystavernrestaurant.com

                  The 15,000 object Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum was operated by the same family from 1792 to 1933. Edward Stabler was a Quaker who engaged in antislavery activities from the opening of his shop in 1796 until his death in 1831. One of his acts was the purchasing and freeing of the enslaved. His business boasted patrons such as George and Martha Washington. The collection includes 15,000 objects.

                  The transatlantic slave trade ended in 1808, cotton production became more lucrative and Virginia turned from tobacco as a crop. The Upper South began to establish a domestic slave trade system, selling slaves into the Lower South. The enslaved were confined to “slave jails” before and after transport by foot, boat or rail. 

                  Franklin and Armfield, the largest slave trading firm in the South, operated from 1828-1836. The 3-story facility held approximately 100 males and females at a time. They were held in locked pens at night and a walled open-air courtyard in the daytime.

                  The Freedom House Museum is situated in a portion of what was Franklin and Armfield’s. Displays include Alexandria’s black history, the US Colored Troops and that of the U.S. in general. During the Civil War the structure housed Confederate prisoners and L'Ouverture Hospital for black soldiers. alexandriava./gov/freedomhouse

                  Joseph Bruin “Negro Jail” was established in 1843. The complex was 2-acres and warehoused many enslaved on-site. A plaque denotes its former location. In 1848, 77 enslaved individuals attempted to escape aboard the Pearl. After recapture they were sold to Bruin and the Edmonson Sisters were sent to New Orleans. Eventually enough funds were raised to purchase and return them. A sculpture of the sisters stands near the Bruin Negro Jail site.

                  Heritage Park houses the 1885, 9-acre, African American black Baptist Cemetery. Uncovered during an archeological dig 21 gravesites and 6 headstones were revealed. There is a sculptural memorial, “Truths That Rise from the Roots Remembered,” and a display of bronze trees, 12-15 ft. tall. @historicAlexVa

                  The Contrabands and Freedman Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Nearly 2,000escaping African Americans are interred here. Brass plaques, etched with the names of identified burials and a sculptural tribute, The Paths of Thorns and Roses, completes the memorial.

                  Shiloh Baptist Church was constructed in 1865 by the formerly enslaved. Its name is in keeping with its mission, “place of peace.” It remains active today. 

                  The segregated Alexandria Free Library was built in 1937. In August of 1939 the first recorded sit-in took place there. Five African American men entered the library and sat down to read. After being asked to leave and refusing they were arrested. The black Robinson Library was built in 1940 rather than desegregate the existing library. It is now part of the Alexandria Black History Museum.

                  The Manumission Tour Company Black History Bus Tour is a 90-minute guided tour designed to visit the significant sites and provide interpretation of events. Councilman John Chapman, a 4th generation Alexandrian, spearheaded the tour’s design and included information. www.manumissiontours.com

In 2022 Jahmond Quander opened 1799 Prime Steak & Seafood, with a sophisticated and welcoming ambiancé. Jahmond’s family is a descendent of one of the oldest documented families in the country. A mural retraces their story from Ghana, to Washington’s Mount Vernon, and culminates with Jahmond and the 1799. 1799prime.com 

                 

Thompson Italian is a great place to dine. Everything is handmade and the menu is seasonal. The chefs, a married team, have been recognized by James Beard. thompsonitalian.com/alexandria

The Lorien Hotel & Spa is perfectly situated for a visit to Alexandria. There are designer room amenities, two excellent restaurants and a full menu of spa treatments. It is steps away from both the Amtrak station and the free King Street Trolley.

                  Alexandria was recognized in 2023 by Condé Nast and Travel and Leisure as one of the best cities to visit. You can immerse yourself in history or shop and dine at a choice of more than 200 venues. Grab a Key to the City Attractions discount pass and embark on your personally curated adventure.

                   

  

Meandering Through Maryland

"Strong Deeds, Gentle Words" Maryland State Motto

                  Artifacts dating from more than 10,000 years ago have been found in the region now Maryland, once the homeland of Paleo-Indians. The land was later inhabited by Native American tribes such as the Lenape, Nanticoke and Powhatan. In 1608 the first documented European explorer, John Smith, sailed to the area on an expeditionary voyage. Twenty-four years later the 2^nd Baron Baltimore was granted a charter for a colony in Maryland. It was named for King Charles’ wife, Queen Henrietta Maria. The first 234 colonists arrived in 1634. They found the land filled with dunes, pine groves, rivers, the Atlantic Ocean, freshwater and marine fish, 400 bird types and 93 mammal species. #VisitMaryland

              

                Maryland has 24 counties, the largest of which is Montgomery County. It was created at the Constitutional Convention of 1776 from a portion of Frederick County. It takes its name from Revolutionary War General Richard Montgomery who died in 1775 attacking Quebec. @Thinkmoco.com

                  Harriet Beecher Stowe published a book in 1852 that allegedly caused Lincoln to say of her that she was “the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war". Uncle Tom’s Cabin blends narratives of several enslaved individuals with the most prominent being Josiah Henson as the titular Uncle Tom. The term, “Uncle Tom,” is generally taken to depict a subservient person who curries favor in all circumstances and at every opportunity. Josiah Henson withstood the harshest conditions and endured to become a self-emancipated Methodist minister, abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor. In 2021 the Josiah Henson Museum and Park opened with a mission to paint an accurate portrait of Henson, his life and ante-bellum plantation life for the owners and the enslaved. Tours and educational programs advance the goals.

                  Henson was born in Maryland in 1789 and he, along with his mother, were sold to Isaac Riley in 1795. Because of his exhibited intelligence he was appointed superintendent of the plantation while a teen. After years of hard work, he learned he was to be sold. He took his wife and children, the two youngest in a sack on his back, and made his way to Canada.

                  The museum complex houses historic buildings, a 4-acre park, exterior exhibits and a visitor center. The museum features archeological artifacts, films, audios and interpretive panels. There is also a 12-minute orientation film, My Name is Josiah Henson. In 1830 Henson escaped to freedom from the Riley Plantation. The 1815 Riley/Bolton House and attached kitchen are onsite. Tickets are mandatory and must be purchased online. montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/josiah-henson-park

                  Washington County was carved from Frederick County in 1776 and named in honor of Gorge Washington, America’s first president. Boonsboro was established in 1792 by two of Daniel Boone’s cousins, George and William. It was situated on the National Road and is the gateway to significant Civil War locations. There are 36-sites on the area tour. visithagerstown.com

                  The 1796 Eagle Hotel was the first stone building in Boonsboro. It was built by Peter Conn in the style of French Second Empire. The hotel was extremely popular when Main Street was the oft-used National Road.

 A log house was constructed in 1826 and later sold to John Bowman. Bowman, an ex-Union soldier, lived in the house from 1865-1906 and his red-ware pottery business was run from the Bowman House. The 2-story, L-shaped, cabin has been restored and a carriage house and pottery shed have been added to the site.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church-Lappans Road was constructed in 1849 as a limestone rectangle. The walls are 17-ft. tall and 2-ft. thick. In 1999 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is probable that enslaved workers helped build the church and the 8 founders were all slave owners and held a total of 53 slaves between them. The church retains the original balcony for the seating of slaves. The first wedding documented by the church is that of slaves Jeremiah and Melinda. The current congregation is actively working to shed light on the church’s ties to slavery through research, programming, renovation of the slave gallery and installation of a monument in recognition of the enslaved interred in the church cemetery. 

Nora Roberts, the best-selling author of more than 200 books, is the creator and owner of a boutique inn that is the epitome of luxury and romance, The Inn BoonsBoro on the Square. There are eight unique guest accommodations named in honor of literary lovers of the past, including Nick and Nora, Jane and Rochester and Percy and Marguerite. Each room is filled with designer amenities, hypo-allergenic linens, heated towel racks and tile floors, free-standing tubs, multi-jet showers, scent dispenser, DVD players and a cashmere throw. An awesome aspect of each guestroom is its singular scent. Bath amenities, with a scent developed for only that room, make each accommodation even more individual. Gourmet breakfast is served daily, wine and cheese are featured from 5-6 PM and snacks and drinks are always available. There are two ADA compliant suites. Innboonsboro.com

                  There is an embarrassment of riches in Maryland and there is always more to do. Visitors should not miss the designated trails that provide additional immersive experiences. The self-guided Washington Pottery Trail winds its way through the Appalachian foothills South Mountain Corridor to the workshops of ten potters. Visitors learn about the craft and are able to purchase special memorabilia. visithagerstown.com/pottery-trail

                  In 2020 a Tastemakers Trail was established. The self-guided tour through Washington’s wine country includes local craft beverage makers, tasting rooms, the largest organic coffee roasters, breweries, a distillery and a cidery. visitmontgomery.com/tastemakers/craft-pass/

                  Make memories as you meander through Maryland.

***On a quirkier note, since 1962 the state’s official sport is jousting.

South Carolina’s Gullah Geechee Cultural Corridor

“The Ghosts are Dying.”  Althea N. Sumpter 

                  UNESCO defined intangible cultural heritage in 2003 in order to memorialize cultural contributions beyond objects, as those ancestral traditions, language, social, artistic, performing, culinary, craftsmanship and festivities. Gullah Geechee is the single distinctly African creole language in the US. On October 12, 2006 the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a National Heritage Area, was inaugurated by the U.S. Congress. The goal of the corridor is to preserve and showcase the singular Gullah Geechee cultural manifestations over a 400-year period. The corridor specifically maintains the language, arts, craftsmanship and cuisine that was an outgrowth of the enslaved Africans and their descendants, enforced labor on the isolated Sea Island plantations Visitors can immerse themselves in the lifestyles and view tangible, intangible and ongoing history at the 32 designated sites. #DiscoverSC

                  The corridor consists of the Sea Islands and 35-miles inland of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Approximately one-million people live within the 12,000 square mile Gullah Geechee National Heritage Area. The Gullah have been identified as inhabiting the coast of North and South Carolina while those who live on Georgia and the Sea Islands and Florida’s coast are referred to as Geechee.

                  In the early 1700s slaves were imported into the Low Country in small numbers but, spurred by the need for laborers, the 1790 census shows that 75% of Charleston’s population was enslaved. South Carolina’s crops, indigo, Carolina Gold rice and Sea Island cotton, required intense labor and enduring severe conditions. Two-thirds of the enslaved born in the Low Country did not live to become 16-years old. The vast majority were Africans from West and Central Africa captured because they already had rice growing and metalworking skills.

                  The newly opened International African American Museum (IAAM) is located on Gasden’s Wharf, in the historic Charleston Port where nearly half of the US’ captured Africans arrived. The IAAM presents an outstanding introduction to the slave’s experience and the enduring aspects of the culture that they brought with them. There are 12 permanent exhibits and 9 galleries. The galleries include Gullah Geechee, the TransAtlantic Experience and a Geneaology section. #IAAM

                  Charleston built a lazaretto in 1707 and it was used as an isolation house to inspect slaves prior to entry into the population. They were held from 10 to 40 days. The first house in the area was built on Sullivan’s Island. The structure was made of brick, had no windows or ceiling and was 30’X16’. Unruly and recalcitrant enslaved were thrown overboard at the lazarettos. The buildings are no longer standing.

In 1858 William McLeod completed the 3-story main house of the Southern Colonial Revival McLeod Plantation. Six, 20’ x 12’ foot slave cabins still exist on Transition Row, as well as the slave bell hanging in a tree. This site presents an overview of antebellum life. The plantation has researched the slaves who worked there. McLeod owned 72 slaves and the plantation was first in area cotton production. During the Civil War the house became a Confederate field hospital. At the end of the war the Freedman’s Bureau was housed there and the 54^th and 55^th USCT occupied the land. Curated tours are offered including the architecture, the family, Sea Island cotton, the enslaved and Gullah culture. Call for tour dates and times.

Beaufort’s Jah'Lion Grill & Bar showcases the culinary connection between the Caribbean and Carolina’s slave trade. Slaves were considered more valuable if they were imported from Caribbean plantations where they were oriented to plantation life. These slaves, seasoned in the islands, were prized. Jah'Lion’s cuisine consists of traditional Caribbean dishes and an outstanding cocktail menu.

 Planters left the area after Union occupation, abandoning 10,000 slaves on the islands. St. Helena Island is the center of Gullah culture. Penn Center, National Landmark District, is a campus housing the former Penn School. The school, from a Sears catalog, was one of the first schools created for the education of the former enslaved. Tuition was $3-$4 for grades 1-12. Later the school was a haven for Civil Rights activists. The island bridge and the area were guarded by the Gullah people. M.L. King visited often to meet and retreat. In the Hastings Gantt cottage King penned the “I have a dream” speech. Be certain to visit the museum, visitor center and gift shop. Tours are offered. nationalparks.org/explore-parks/reconstruction-era-national-monument

Gullah-Geechee Sea Island Coalition is filled with 3.5-million-year-old verdite and Shona African carvings. A tour takes you through the story of pre-slavery Africa to modern Low Country culture. The items were collected by Pastor Hodges and are display and can be purchased along with authentic jewelry and décor items.

Gullah Grub Restaurant has been serving authentic Gullah dishes for 15-years. Meals are seasonal, locally sourced and traditionally prepared. Tip: Eat oysters only in months that end in “R.”

Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum is the most dazzling of SC’s hidden gems. It is the first and only civil rights museum in the state. If present Mr. Williams will give an orientation and lead a tour. The issues that are highlighted here are Briggs vs. Elliot, the 1^st case about segregation in public education, also known as Brown vs. Board of Education and the Orangeburg Massacre. The massacre, led by police officers, resulted in the wounding of 28 and the killing of 3 college students. Showcase exhibits include the two dolls used in the Brown case, Althea Gibson and Thurgood Marshall’s personal items and numerous iconic photographs taken by Mr. Williams. He was a professional photographer from the age of 11. The museum is located in his home, designed and built by Williams.

The proprietors of Thee Matriarch Bed and Breakfast, in Orangeburg are Rachelle and Fred Holmes. They provide a Southern-style stay with deluxe accommodations, curated artworks, creative amenities and astonishing culinary selections. Rochelle’s Island Sweet Tea is the Winner of “Peoples’ Choice Best Sweet Tea.” The Holmes are hospitality personified. www.TheeMatriarch.com

Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, housed in a 1937 Sinclair Gas Station, is located in Ridgeland. The museum’s mission is to collect and teach Lowcountry heritage. Galleries explore the culture using art and immersive activities.

                  Chef Chris Williams founded Roy's Grille in Irmo in 2014. Using skills learned from his mother and grandmother he crafts made-from-scratch, award-winning, dishes created using his personal sauces, rubs and heritage recipes. While there you must try the fried ribs. They guarantee you will return.

Kiki's Chicken and Waffles in Columbia, SC is owned by Kitwanda “Kiki” and Tyrone Cyrus, opened in 2012. The soul food menu is creative, delicious and award-winning. The featured Chicken and waffles are sublime.

It is said that “The Ghosts are Dying.” These ghosts are keepers of the community memories and traditions. The Gullah have chosen to become living repositories of their own stories. Gullah tradition was to bury the dead facing east, and, if possible, near the water. This practice enabled the spirit to return to Africa. These ancestors can return to Africa knowing that are not dead and there are new keepers of the legacy.