Richmond Slave Trail Commission and African Burial Ground materials collection

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Commonwealth University, Cabell Library
James Branch Cabell Library
Virginia Commonwealth University
P.O. Box 842003
901 Park Avenue
Richmond, VA 23284-2003
Contact for questions and access:
POC: SCA Staff
Phone: (804) 828-1108
Fax: (804) 828-0151
Preferred citation:

Richmond Slave Trail Commission and African Burial Ground materials collection, 2002-2006, Collection # M 396, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Summary

Extent:
0.42 Linear Feet 1 letter document box and 70.2 Megabytes CD contains 52 files, 48 are in .jpg format and 4 are in .doc format.
Creator:
Callaway, Melinda Kate, Callaway, Melinda Kate, Herring, David, Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods, and Richmond (Va.). City Council. Slave Trail Commission
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Richmond Slave Trail Commission and African Burial Ground materials collection, 2002-2006, Collection # M 396, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Background

Scope and content:

The Richmond Slave Trail Commission and African Burial Ground materials collection contains documents collected by Melinda Kay Callaway (a VCU history undergraduate who worked in Special Collections and Archives for one semester on a project funded by the VCU History Department and Slave Trail Commission) and materials donated by David Herring, Executive Director of Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (ACORN) in 2009.

The collection consists of materials around the 2006 Richmond Slave Trail Commission project to conduct an archaeological assessment of Lumpkin's Slave Jail, and the work leading up to that assessment. This work resulted in a Preliminary Archaeological Investigation from 2006, which includes the research design; testing results; analysis of soil stratigraphy, site location, and artifacts; conclusions and recommendations; references; and appendices on primary source documents, the site inventory form, and the artifact inventory. The archaeological assessment completed in 2010 is not part of this collection.

This collection also includes information and photos of Winfree Cottage, a two-room 19th century cottage that once belonged to Emily Winfree. Emily Winfree was a free Black woman who was formerly enslaved by a wealthy Manchester enslaver and landowner. The cottage was slated for demolition, but in 2002, ACORN stepped in and saved it.

Lastly, the collection contains some maps and history about the Shockoe Bottom African American Burial Ground, enslavement in Virginia, and Gabriel's Rebellion.

Biographical / historical:

The Richmond City Council Slave Trail Commission was established by Richmond City Council in 1998 with the intent of preserving the history of enslavement in Richmond. This work has, thus far, been carried out through a number of projects between 2003 and 2011. The majority of these projects are centered around archaeological assessments, the discovery of architectural artifacts, a reconciliation statute, the development of Richmond Slave Trail Markers, and more.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Melinda Kate Callaway and David Herring, April 2009.
Arrangement:

Collection folders are arranged chronologically, followed by a VHS tape.

Physical / technical requirements:

Contents of the ACORN African American Architecture project CD can be made available electronically. File formats include .jpg and .doc. VHS requires a VCR for viewing. Contact Special Collections and Archives staff to request access at libsca@vcu.edu.

Physical facet:
Contains 1 VHS tape, 1 CD, and paper documents
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard