Portions of this collection may be restricted for privacy reasons. Consult a staff member for assistance. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Acc. 2009.030 received 2/16/2009 from the Williamsburg Documentary Project via Jenna Simpson. Acquisition information for material received after 7/13/2009 is available by consulting a Special Collections Research Center staff member.
The American Studies Program offers students the opportunity to engage with the complex and diverse histories of cultural, racial, and national encounters that, like those of our local area, have come to shape the past and present of the United States, and the Americas. In a rigorous, yet flexible environment of intellectual inquiry, students develop the critical skills that allow them not only to pursue rewarding careers, but to serve as responsible citizens of the 21st Century.
Williamsburg Documentary Project Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
Acc. 2009.030 accessioned and minimally described by Amy C. Schindler, University Archivist, in 2/2009. Acc. 2010.311 accessioned and minimally described by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in 5/2010. All accessions were integrated and processed by David Ward, SCRC Graduate Apprentice, from October 2013-January 2014. Acc. 2015.148 accessioned and minimally described by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in June 2015.
Digital content documents from the Williamsburg Documentary Project, including some interviews, are available at William & Mary Libraries Digital Collections
This collection is composed of material collected and created by the Williamsburg Documentary Project. The Williamsburg Documentary Project conducts oral history interviews and builds physical and digital archives, as well as other activities, through which it interprets the past of Williamsburg, Virginia.
The collection includes publications, news clippings, interviews, and planning documents about Merchant's Square, New Town, food, immigration, as well as events related to Williamsburg history. Events documented in this collection include the removal of a cross from the chapel in the William & Mary Wren Building at the direction of College President Gene R. Nichol.
Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
VERY IMPORTANT: Anyone quoting from or making substantial use of the oral histories collected here should consider THE SOUND RECORDINGS THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE. Transcripts, indexes, and key words are only tools meant to help guide users to the sound recordings. Most of these interviews were done by WDP student-interviewers. Most interviews combine a life history format with some questioning specific to a student-interviewer's research interests. As part of their training, WDP students do some group interviews and also interview one another, and the collection also contains these recordings. Additionally, the collection gathers some recordings that were done by other groups—for example, local volunteers helping commemorate Williamsburg's 300th anniversary. All oral history interviews conducted by the WDP are done following the Oral History Association's principles and best practices guidelines. Each record in the digital archive contains: a) a sound recording of an interview (WAV format; some MP3 format); a few recordings have been edited to reflect restrictions; some recordings are available for use only on-site in Swem Library's Special Collections b) an image of the Deed of Gift relevant to the interview (PDF or TIFF format) c) a "live index" to the recording (PDF format); these indexes were made by assistants to the main interviewer during the interview and, using time code, give a rough guide to major topics covered in the interview. d) a "headnote" (PDF format); written by the main interviewer, headnotes give some basic information on the circumstances in which the interview took place and highlight some key topics covered in the interview. Many records also contain: e) an interview transcript, which incorporates the headnote described above (PDF format); prepared by the main interviewer, transcripts attempt to render the dialogue of the interview in a way that is quickly searchable. SCHOLARS WISHING TO QUOTE, SYNOPSIZE, OR REFERENCE A WDP ORAL HISTORY SHOULD ALWAYS CHECK THE TRANSCRIPT AGAINST THE INTERVIEW RECORDING. Some records may also contain: f) scans of documents or photographs (TIFF files) related to the interviewee or topics covered in the interview.
This sub-series contains oral history interviews from 1995-2012. Interviewees consist primarily of William & Mary students, William & Mary Faculty, and Williamsburg and James City County residents. Interviews have related oral history materials in the William & Mary digital archive. The suberies is arranged in alphabetical order by last name of interviewee.
File contains deed of gift, detailed, time-stamped summary of interview, and written summary of oral history interview conducted by Graham DeZarn. Mr. Abbott speaks about his family history, the work his architectural firm does, and the importance of understanding the history of the area. He speaks about the progect at Polegreen Church in Hanover County, VA and the preservation of historic and agricultural land.
This sub- series contains oral history deeds, transcripts and notes from 1995-2012.
Final papers for student projects consist of a variety of subjects on the community life and culture within Williamsburg and surrounding environs. Some of these topics have related oral history and digital materials in the William & Mary digital archive. This series contains student project map diaries from 2008-2012. Students track their locations and movements for a 24 hour period to construct a map diary of their day. There is no prescribed format for the map diary. The bulk of the series is arranged by project title.
Please note that select student papers are restricted from viewing due to privacy. Please consult with a staff member for assistance.
This series contains research materials on the following subjects: : Old Town/New Town, Food and Poverty in Williamsburg and Wren Cross controversy, Battle of Williamsburg Commemoration, J1 Work Visas, Retirement in Williamsburg and Development of Quarterpath Road. There are also oral history materials from the Grass Roots Theater (1998-1999). Old Town/New Town: Merchants Square material, Merchants Square Real Estate Operations, The NewTowner magazines, Next Door Neighbor magazine, and newspaper clippings for 2007. Food and Poverty in Williamsburg: USDA Brochures (2007), Statistics, Information, Advertisements (2010), SHIP (2010), Food Bank Study (2004), Community Health Report (2005) Wren Cross controversy: Emails, Websites and notes used in compiling final report. Battle of Williamsburg Commemoration: Notes J1 Work Visas: Briefings, Regulations, Court Case, and notes used in compiling final report. All from 2010. Retirement in Williamsburg: Reports and Brochures, Journal Articles, Tourism directory, and newspaper clippings.
Williamsburg, Virginia, Traffic Lights, 35 x 21 cm, color Williamsburg, Virginia, Original City and Subsequent Annexation, 28 x 43cm, Color, ca 1984 Williamsburg, Virginia,, Williamsburg in the '20 and '30s, 21 x 28cm, Black & White James City County, 29.5 x 43cm, color, 2006 Williamsburg, Virginia, Comprehensive Plan, 42.5 x 54.5 cm, color, 2006 Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Districts, 1 of 3, 42.5 x 34 cm, color, February 13, 2003 Williamsburg, Virginia, Architectual Review Distircts, 42.5 x 34 cm, 2 of 3, color, March 9, 2006 Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Districts, 3 of 3, 42.5 x 34 cm, color, February 13, 2003 Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Map, 91 x 58 cm, black & white, July 1, 1966, 2 copies Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Map, 91 x 58 cm, black & white, August,1972, Res'C', March 26, 1981 Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Map, 91 x 58 cm, black & white, August,1972, ' March 23, 1987, 2 copies Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Map, 91 x 58 cm, black & white, August,1972, January 1, 1975, 2 copies Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Map, 91 x 58 cm, black & white, July 1964 Williamsburg, Virginia, Real Property Grid Index, 91 x 58 cm, color, July 13, 2004
Box 11 contains restricted material. Please consult a staff member for further assistance. This is a temporary series and will be deleted once it has been integrated with the existing collection. The series contains oral histories, final reports, and map diaries by students in the Williamsburg Documentary Project course at William and Mary. Box 9 is unrestricted.
Al Albert is the a former soccer coach at William and Mary and is credited with founding the Tidewater Soccer camp. He speaks about his background and the founding of the camp. Folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Douglas Austin speaks about his time growing up in the Williamsburg James City County School System and his time at Bruton Heights, previously and African American only school. Folder contains and index and transcript of the interview.
Dr. Bernacki is a general practitioner who has been practicing in Williamsburg since the 1980s. Dr. Bernacki speaks about his past as a medical student at Georgetown, his time as a physician in the Air Force, the growth he has seen in the Williamsburg medical community, and his belief in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Dr. Brown speaks about the past medical community of Williamsburg and his disagreement with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Lauren Brown speaks about growing up in Williamsburg and the tourism industry. Folder contains an index of the interview.
Sarah Cate-Pizarro is a student at William and Mary and speaks about her life in Richmond, VA, he plans for the future, her travels, and her family. Folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Linda Chemlow has been in Williamsburg since 1989 and speaks about her work in the medical field including her personal and professional attitudes towards the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
John Daly is the Head Women's Soccer Coach at William and Mary College. He speaks about how he got involved in soccer and his work at the Tidewater Soccer Camp as a coach. The file contains a transcript of the interview.
Mrs. Elston is the president of the Williamsburg chapter of the William and Mary Alumni Association. She speaks about the association, changes in Williamsburg since she was a student, her and her family's involvement in the community, and her relationship with the US Navy. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Mr. Hamant is the former director of Evening and Special Programs at Colonial Williamsburg. He spoke about how he came to Williamsburg, his time as a Senior Archeologist for Colonial Williamsburg, and his development of popular ghost tours in Colonial Williamsburg. The folder contains a transcript of the interview.
Jane Hanson is the supervisor of the Governor's Musick Ensemble. She gives a comprehensive history of early music performance, the benefits and drawbacks of a resident ensemble, and the difficulties the ensemble face. The folder contains a summary of the interview.
Mayor Clyde Haulmand describes his previous involvement on the Board for the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters. He also discusses how the city of Williamsburg addresses the problem of at-risk and disadvantaged youth. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Sister Rose Morris is a teacher at Walsingham Academy, a Catholic school in Williamsburg. Mary Johnston was a student and teacher at Walsingham and at the time of the interview works as the vice principal of the lower school. Sister Rose speaks of the school's history and its religious diversity. Mary speaks about being a non-Catholic student and teacher at the school. Both speak about the schools relationship to the community. The folder contains an index and transcript of the inteview.
Mrs. Jowett is the Career and Technical Education Curriculum leader at Jamestown High. Mrs. Jowett speaks about her experiences with the supernatural at the high school as well as encounters at her home in Yorktown. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Ms. King is the CEO at the Greater Virginia Peninsula branch of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Ms. King discusses the function and organization of this chapter as well as its fundraisers and events. This folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Judy Knudson is the executive director of Olde Towne Medical Center. She speaks about the growing number of retirees in the community, the growth of the medical field in Williamsburg, and the benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The folder contains a summary, index, and transcript of the interview.
Swem library use only
Jake Lewitz is an senior at William and Mary College. He discusses his hometown of Marin, California and what it was like growing up there. He also discussed his busy schedule and many school activities. Jake Lewitz is interested in the Public Health sector. This folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Professor Marshall teaches at William and Mary and was member of the Governor's Musick ensemble. Prof. Marshall speaks of the benefits of playing in a small resident ensemble as well as the lack of support by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Kalynn McLane is a student at William and Mary American Studies program. She speaks about her family, her love of William and Mary, her academics, and her summer study abroad in Cape Town. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Mr. Moss's speaks of his musical life prior to beginning to play withthe Governor's Musick ensemble, his musical travel, and teaching life. He also give a history of the music that would have been played in the colonial era in Williamsburg. In a follow up interview Mr. Moss discusses the role that the Governor's Musick has played within the living museum and the nature of their engagements while he has been a member. Mr. Moss also discussed the changing attitudes towards music in society todya and his uncertainty about the groups future. The folder contains summaries and indexes for both interviews.
Hannah Ostroff is a student at William and Mary. She speaks about her childhood and her decision to attend William and Mary as well as her time at the school. Ostroff speaks about her experiences with the William and Mary Choir and Sinfonicron. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Lance Pedigo speaks about his love of music growing up and how he now runs the Fife and Drum Corps in Williamsburg. The folder contains indices of the interview.
Mrs. Pedigo works in the Williamsburg-James City County public school system. She speaks about her time working at Matthew Whaley Elementary School and working in the media center at Rawls Byrd Elementary School. She discusses the changes to the city and the school system since she began working in Williamsburg in 1959. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Mr. and Mrs. Perkins are both graduates of William and Mary and speak about their time as active participants in Greek life on campus. They discuss the changes to Williamsburg and William and Mary since their graduation as well as their current church life and as members of the Olde Guarde Council. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Mr. Carnifax is the Director of Parks and Recreation for James City County and Mr. Powell is the Assistant City Manager. They speak about athletics and local field use. They also speak about the Warhill Sports Complex, what it provides the community, and how youth athletics can economically benefit the community. This folder contains a summary of the interview.
Rachel Quinones is a student at William and Mary. She speaks about her childhood, religion, music, and her impending graduation. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Mr. Riley speaks about the Kimball theater and film in Williamsburg. The folder contains indices of the interview.
Mr. Scrofani speaks about the Williamsburg Indoor Sports Complex, how it was created and funded, and the impact the WISC has on the community. The folder contains a summary of the interview.
Willie Shaw is a student at William and Mary. He speaks about his childhood, his family, his passion for athletics, and his relationship with music. He also speaks about how he came to William and Mary and his plans for the future. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Lauren Stephenson is a student at William and Mary. She speaks about her childhood, growing up in suburban Chicago, her Jewish community, and her TV journalist experience. She also speaks about her experiences at William and Mary. The folder contains a transcript of the interview.
Lisa Thomas has been a Big Sister through the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters since 1985. She discusses her role and responsiblities of a Big Sister and her personal experiences with her Little Sisters. In the follow up interview Lisa Thomas speaks about her experience at Eastern State Hospital, how her work for Child Development Resources (CDR) fits into the Williamsburg community assisting disabled children, at-risk children, and those that come from non-English speaking families, and how changing legislation and federal grant money alters the CDR's focus. The folder contains summaries and indices of the interviews.
Jacqueline Vasquez is a student at William and Mary. She discusses her childhood in Texas and her relationships with her family. She speaks about her middle and high school experiences such as participation in student government and sports. She also speaks about her decision to come to William and Mary and her involvement in Phi Beta Phi Sorority, the Club Lacross team, and her volunteer work at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. This folder contains a transcript of the interview.
Mr. Watson is the longest-working musician of the Governor's Musick Ensemble. He speaks about the historical musical performace practices and institutional knowledge. He discusses the transition in Colonial Williamsburg to historically accurate music practices, his own history with early music and the role of the Governor's Musick at the institution. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
The four narrators are all William and Mary Alumni who reside in the Williamsburg Landing Retirement Community. The residents share stories from their time at William and Mary, speak about their love of the College, what has changed since they were students, why they decided to move to Williamsburg, why they remain involved in the College community, and why they think alumni retire to Williamsburg and other college towns. The folder contains a summary of the conversation as well as short biographies of the four narrators.
Lynn Wolfe works in administration at Child Development and speaks about the fundraising efforts of CDR as well as CDR's connection with insurance companies, public schools, and the community in general. She also speaks about her time at William and Mary and her reasons for living in Williamsburg. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Timothy Wolfe work in the College of William and Mary Admissions Office. He previously worked at Walsingham Academy for two years in the early 2000s as their Director of College Counseling. He speaks about enjoying his time at Walsingham, his experiences as a non-Catholic staff member, and the perception of Walsingham in the community. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Kris Yeager is a student at William and Mary. He speaks about his childhood and family as well as his gymnastics career as part of the Varsity gymnastics team at William and Mary. He discusses his struggles with gymnastics due to medical issues and his future as part of Teach for America in Las Vegas. The folder contains and index and transcript of the interview.
Folder contains brief biographies of the students taking part in the Williamsburg Documentary Project (WDP) in 2013.
WDP student Sarah Cate-Pizarro's final project on ghost lore and ghost tours in Williamsburg. The folder contains copy and description of a survey map of Williamsburg, several advertisements for various ghost tours, and a research paper.
The folder contains a research paper on responses to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in Williamsburg and excerpts from the Virginia Gazette on national health care reform.
Folder contains a research paper on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Williamsburg.
The folder contains various articles, studies, and webpages about Big Brothers Big Sisters printed out as well as various documents from the organization.
The folder contains various program guides for Colonial Williamsburg, an article by Rohald Broude about music in Colonial Williamsburg in Early Music America, and a research paper about the Governor's Musick in Colonial Williamsburg.
The folder contains a research paper about Walsingham Academy.
The folder contains a research paper about youth athletics in Williamsburg
The folder contains a research paper about William and Mary alumni retiring in Williamsburg.
Folder contains a research paper on the evolution of the Williamsburg-James City County School System.
The folder contains a research paper about Child Developent Resources (CDR) in Williamsburg.
The folder contains a written description of student Rachel Quinones's map diary project which details a map of her day.
Folder contains several maps and a reflective essay.
Folder contains maps and relfective essay.
Folder contains maps and a reflective essay.
Folder contains maps and a reflective essay.
Folder contains a map and a reflective essay.
Folder contains maps and a reflective essay.
Folder contains maps and a reflective essay.
Folder contains maps and a reflective essay.
Folder contains a variety of research papers on various topics in Williamsburg such as the LGBTQ community, downtown Williamsburg, the WCWM-FM which is William and Mary's radio station, alternative education, agriculture, local food, the Catholic community, Gene Nichol who is the 26th president of the College of William and Mary, racism inx the mid-20th century, and Meridian Coffeehouse.
The folder contains maps and reflective essays.
Folder contains a research paper on the Temple Beth El and Jewish community of Williamsburg.
The folder contains a research report on Williamsburg 2009 3-person rule zoning ordinance.
The folder contains a research paper on the Kingsmill gated community and overall perceptions of gated communities in Williamsburg.
Folder contains a research on the Magruder community which was displaced when Camp Peary was established. Additionally, the folder contains copies of relevant photographs and reports.
Mr. Boelt's family has a long history in Williamsburg and as a history buff he has a great deal of knowledge of the Williamsburg area, especially surrounding William and Mary. He speaks about how Williamsburg has changed, specifically in relation to the three person zoning rule and the transition of his childhood home on Richmond Ave. becoming a rental. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Chris Connolly serves on the City Planning Commission fot the city government and the branch that enforces the three-person rule. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Mrs. Fleck speaks about her history as a military wife before coming to Williamsburg and running the Applewood Bed and Breakfast. She also discussed being a newcomer to the hospitality industry, the relationship between the Bed and Breakfast Network and the local government, and the importance of an internet prescence and marketing. The folder contains a summary, index, and transcrip of the interview.
Mr. Goddin is a vocal opponent of the three-person zoning rule and advocated for an expansion to four people. He speaks about the tension at the time (late 2000s), his arrival in Williamsburg, his neighborhood through the years, his thoughts on current compromises to the rule, his position as a homeowner, and his perspectives on how to move forward balancing student and resident concerns. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Bruce Larson is a civilian working for the Department of Defense (Navy) as the Senior Archaeologist and Cultural Resources Branch Head for Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC). Mr. Larson speaks about his education, career, the value of interdisciplinary methodology when working with cultural resources, and the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview as well as a copy of Mr. Larson's curriculum vitae.
Mr. McGurk is a media correspondent for Kingsmill United. He speaks on how he came to Williamsburg, his experience as a Kingsmill resident, and the history of Kingsmill. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Tyler Morris currently lives at Fred Boelt's childhood home and sheds some light on how the property is used today and what the surrounding neighborhood is like. Tyler discusses her experience with the property, the neighborhood, the three-person rule, and Williamsburg in general. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Amanda Morrow currently lives at CityGreen Apartments on Richmond Rd. and currently violates the three-person rule. She discusses her previous housing in Williamsburg, her reasons for moving off-campus, her current living situation, and the three-person rule more broadly. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Samuel Powell is a retired judge who discusess his work witht he Powhatan statue outside the courthouse and the Atlantic community concept that should be completed with two additional statues in the newr future. He speaks of the history of James City County courthouses as well as his involvement with Anheuser-Busch when he worked in private practice as a lawyer in Williamsburg, VA. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Caroline Raschbaum speaks about her experiences being born and growing up in a household with two opposing religions, finding a passion for Judaism at a young age, Judaism in Williamsburg, the concept of diaspora, and safe spaces for Jews in Williamsburg. The folder contains an index and transcript for the interview.
Folder contains maps and written reports.
The folder contains a research paper on hispanic communities in Williamsburg as well as an adult student registration form and a document from William and Mary written in Spanish.
The folder contains a research paper on the exstence of homelessness in relation to Williamsburg, Virginia's tourist economy.
The folder contains a research paper on protesters in Williamsburg as well as an NAACP brochure, copies of posters for Black Lives Matter, a message on a task force on Preventing Sexual Assult and Harrassment, a program for the Lemon Project Spring Symposium titled "Ghosts of Slavery: The Afterlives of Racial Bondage", and a CD.
The folder contains a research paper on bicycling in Williamsburg, a series of printed emails on bicycling in Williamsburg, a pamphlet for the ride cycling club at the YMCA, a series of printed letters requesting interviews, The Williamsburg, James City, and York regional bicycle facilities plan from 1997, printed slides from March 26, 2015 WATA Transit Riders Advisory Committee, amap of James City County, a pamphlet for BikeBeat, the Flying Wheel newsletter from April 2015, several more pamphlets on where to ride bikes in the area, and a syllabus for a class on bicycling basics from William and Mary.
The folder contains a research paper on public housing in Williamsburg, a copy of an application for admission to the public housing system, and a copy of a residential lease agreement that all tenants of the WRHA musst sign.
The folder contains a research paper on the influence of bus drivers on their students.
The folder contains a research paper on food security in Grove, Virginia.
Mr. Briggs speaks about growing up in Williamsburg, his medical diagnosis that left him unable to work, and his residence in public housing, specifically the Katherine Circle Apartments. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Materials are accessible to researchers at Swem Library only.
Ms. Burton works for the Williamsburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (WRHA) and speaks on the mission of the WRHA, the process of applying to public housing with the WRHA, how the lease works, and her feelings on the structure of the public housing system. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Materials accessible to researchers at Swem Library only.
Lamar Gray is a 21-year old man who grew up and currently resides in Grove. He speaks on how he ate when he was a wrestler, how he eats now, how he eats healthy, and how he thinks about food. The folder contains an index of the interview.
Ms. Heard speaks about her childhood in "White City", her various professions, her relationship with Colonial Williamsburg, and her experiences as a union organizer and protestor. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Terry Jones is a resident of a public housing complex managed by the Williamsburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (WRHA). They speak about their life history and experiences with housing. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Material accessible to researchers in Swem Library only.
Swem library use only
Dorcas Juarez discusses her life in Williamsburg at church, at work, and about the challenges and discrimination that comes from speaking little English. She also speaks about her family, the Latino community, and her journey from El Salvador to Williamsburg. The interview is primarily in Spanish. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview, both in English.
Fred Liggin is a pastor at the Williamsburg Christian Church and the founder and president of 3E Restoration which uses mutual relationships to equip and empower homeless individuals to transition to self-sufficiency in everyday life. Mr. Liggin speaks about poverty and homelessness in Williamsburg, his hope for creating systemic change, and his belief that college students can/ have a powerful voice in changing the conversation surrounding homelessness. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Grace Martien discusses riding the Williamsburg James City County school bus from when she began middle school in 2006 through her senior year of high school. She mainly speaks about her interactions and relationships with bus drivers and the social stratification evident on the bus itself. The folder contains an index and transcript of the summary.
Reed Nester is the director of City Planning and discusses how he has changed bicycling in Williamsburg over the last 20 years, his daily commute to and from work, and his involvement with planning out bicycle paths and lanes in Williamsburg. The folder contains a summary, index, and transcript of the interview.
Robert and Sharon own a bike shop called Red Barn Bikes in New Kent County. They discuss their time biking in Williamsburg, their beilief that James City County is not working with bicyclists, their belief that Capital Trail is essential to growing the biking community, and the reasons they opened up their bicycle shop. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Sam Smith speaks about Williamsburg's Office of Real Estate Assessment, the city's property values, and how those values are assigned. The folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Material access restricted to researchers at Swem Library only.
Swem library use only
Brenda Tejada discusses her life in Williamsburg at work, with systems like social services, and the overall difficulties she faces from being Latino. She talks about her family the Latino community, and her journey from El Salvador to Williamsburg. The interview is in both English and Spanish. The folder contains an index (in English) and a transcript (in a mix of English and Spanish) of the interview.
Rich Thompson discusses his time bicycling in Williamsburg, his involvement with cyclists at the College of William and Mary. He also speaks about his personal reasons for commuting to and from work via bicycle each day. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Mary Turnbull is a bicyclist in Williamsburg and a founding member of the Williamsburg Area Bicyclists. Miss. Turnbull speaks about her experiences commuting between her home in York County and her job as a librarian at Lafayette High School and the importance of bike safety. The folder contains a summary and index of the interview.
Mrs. Little is a historian and daughter of Reverend Archibald F. Ward, Jr. who advocated on behalf of the displaced citizens of Magruder.
Deed of Gift is missing.
Corinne Garland spoke about her work at Williamsburg Preschool for Special Children, her experiences at Child Development Resources, and educational legislation concerning children with disabilities in public schools. This folder contains an index and transcript of the interview.
Interview is restricted pending a removal of certain content from the transcript and digital file.
This interview was conducted by Andrew Cotman and was indexed by Marriya Schwarz with audio management by Nicholas DeAtley. The interview was later transcribed by Nicholas DeAtley, Marriya Schwarz, and Andrew Cotman. The interview took place during the afternoon of 3/15/18 in the third floor 311 classroom of the College of William and Mary American Studies building, located on 114 North Boundary Street Apt Williamsburg, VA 23185, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear, however the volume of the interview was a little low. There was a little interference due to an AC unit turning on and off which may have obstructed slightly the clearness and volume of Ms. Bell's voice. Also, there was an interference early on in the interview because Ms. Bell's microphone detached from her jacket. During the interview, Barbara Bell discussed her experiences in various school systems, like Richmond Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Department of Defense Schools, and the Medina City School District, during her 35 years of teaching. She reflected on her experiences teaching students with varying socioeconomic statuses. Throughout the interview, she made references to the power of having diversity throughout the classroom, and the joy that she has gained from teaching. Towards the end of the interview, she discussed her work with homeless student populations and a program that she created, called Diversity-In-Actions that promotes knowledge of African-American culture. For clarity, the transcribers have eliminated ever "um" and "uh" from the transcription.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Andrew Cotman and was indexed by Marriya Schwarz with audio management by Nicholas DeAtley. The interview was later transcribed by Nicholas DeAtley, Marriya Schwarz, and Andrew Cotman. The interview took place during the afternoon of 3/15/18 in the third floor 311 classroom of the College of William and Mary American Studies building, located on 114 North Boundary Street Apt Williamsburg, VA 23185, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear, however the volume of the interview was a little low. There was a little interference due to an AC unit turning on and off which may have obstructed slightly the clearness and volume of Ms. Bell's voice. Also, there was an interference early on in the interview because Ms. Bell's microphone detached from her jacket. During the interview, Barbara Bell discussed her experiences in various school systems, like Richmond Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Department of Defense Schools, and the Medina City School District, during her 35 years of teaching. She reflected on her experiences teaching students with varying socioeconomic statuses. Throughout the interview, she made references to the power of having diversity throughout the classroom, and the joy that she has gained from teaching. Towards the end of the interview, she discussed her work with homeless student populations and a program that she created, called Diversity-In-Actions that promotes knowledge of African-American culture. For clarity, the transcribers have eliminated ever "um" and "uh" from the transcription.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
We interviewed Dr. Byrd-Poller on Tuesday, February 20th, 2018 in the upstairs classroom in the college apartments. Besides two brief distractions (one from a man hoping to print some papers and the other when we needed to get Dr. Byrd-Poller some water), the interview continued uninterrupted. We began by discussing her own experience growing up in the Williamsburg- James City County school system and her children's experiences and how practices have changed over time. We then began discussion of her twisting career path that eventually led her to her current position as Director of Human Resources at Thomas Nelson Community College. One topic that was particularly relevant throughout the interview was the issue of diversity in her own schooling experience, her children's, and today as she plays a large role in hiring prospective staff.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
We interviewed Dr. Byrd-Poller on Tuesday, February 20th, 2018 in the upstairs classroom in the college apartments. Besides two brief distractions (one from a man hoping to print some papers and the other when we needed to get Dr. Byrd-Poller some water), the interview continued uninterrupted. We began by discussing her own experience growing up in the Williamsburg- James City County school system and her children's experiences and how practices have changed over time. We then began discussion of her twisting career path that eventually led her to her current position as Director of Human Resources at Thomas Nelson Community College. One topic that was particularly relevant throughout the interview was the issue of diversity in her own schooling experience, her children's, and today as she plays a large role in hiring prospective staff.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Shainir Bearfield and was indexed by Nicholas DeAtley with audio management done as well by Nicholas DeAtley. Nicholas DeAtley and Shainir Bearfield later transcribed the interview together. The interview took place at 3:30 p.m. of March 23rd of 2018, at the Land Tech Resources Inc. building located on 3925 Midlands road located in Williamsburg, Virginia 23188 using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear and all audio equipment worked extremely well. Interviewed was Lisa Ownby who serves as the Vice Chair of the Williainsburg James City County School board. She is also appointed as head of the special education advisory committee within the school board system. During the interview Lisa Ownby discusses how her relationship with her brother unfortunately suffering from numerous disabilities impacted her life choices and career path. Throughout the interview she discusses her early volunteering with Special Olympics eventually leading to her eventual work at Child Development Resources funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Lisa Ownby in this interview offers her point of view on several facets of the Williainsburg James City County Public school system. First and foremost she offers her perspective on funding of special education on a local, state and national level. This interview was an excellent way to see how those working within the school board view the production of the special education system and of what issues are taking place in the system in regards to funding. Throughout this interview for clarity, the transcribers have eliminated "um" and "uh" from the transcription.
The content of this note came from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Shainir Bearfield and was indexed by Nicholas DeAtley with audio management done as well by Nicholas DeAtley. Nicholas DeAtley and Shainir Bearfield later transcribed the interview together. The interview took place at 3:30 p.m. of March 23rd of 2018, at the Land Tech Resources Inc. building located on 3925 Midlands road located in Williamsburg, Virginia 23188 using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear and all audio equipment worked extremely well. Interviewed was Lisa Ownby who serves as the Vice Chair of the Williainsburg James City County School board. She is also appointed as head of the special education advisory committee within the school board system. During the interview Lisa Ownby discusses how her relationship with her brother unfortunately suffering from numerous disabilities impacted her life choices and career path. Throughout the interview she discusses her early volunteering with Special Olympics eventually leading to her eventual work at Child Development Resources funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Lisa Ownby in this interview offers her point of view on several facets of the Williainsburg James City County Public school system. First and foremost she offers her perspective on funding of special education on a local, state and national level. This interview was an excellent way to see how those working within the school board view the production of the special education system and of what issues are taking place in the system in regards to funding. Throughout this interview for clarity, the transcribers have eliminated "um" and "uh" from the transcription.
The content of this note came from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Shainir Bearfield and was indexed by Nicholas DeAtley with audio management done as well by Nicholas DeAtley. Nicholas DeAtley and Shainir Bearfield later transcribed the interview together. The interview took place at 3:30 p.m. of March 23rd of 2018, at the Land Tech Resources Inc. building located on 3925 Midlands road located in Williamsburg, Virginia 23188 using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear and all audio equipment worked extremely well. Interviewed was Lisa Ownby who serves as the Vice Chair of the Williainsburg James City County School board. She is also appointed as head of the special education advisory committee within the school board system. During the interview Lisa Ownby discusses how her relationship with her brother unfortunately suffering from numerous disabilities impacted her life choices and career path. Throughout the interview she discusses her early volunteering with Special Olympics eventually leading to her eventual work at Child Development Resources funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Lisa Ownby in this interview offers her point of view on several facets of the Williainsburg James City County Public school system. First and foremost she offers her perspective on funding of special education on a local, state and national level. This interview was an excellent way to see how those working within the school board view the production of the special education system and of what issues are taking place in the system in regards to funding. Throughout this interview for clarity, the transcribers have eliminated "um" and "uh" from the transcription.
The content of this note came from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Jennifer Albarracin at the William and Mary Barnes and Noble on Saturday, April 7. We were originally meeting to interview Elias Martinez, a father of English Language Learning students in WJCC schools. However, by some miscommunication, even though he arrived at the bookstore, we were never able to find each other. I'm guessing it was an issue with parking. After waiting an hour, I interviewed Jennifer. We discussed her own experience growing up in Fairfax, Virginia with the label of"ESL" and how it drove her towards academic success because she wanted to leave behind the term "ESL" as an identifier. We also touched on her parents' interactions with the school system and how her relationship with her parents was strained by communication barriers. Today, Jennifer is a William and Mary student, minoring in Latin American studies in order to learn more about her own roots. The background noise is relatively loud throughout the interview, but the recording is still understandable. Although she does state her name as Jennifer Albarracin Moya in the recording, most of the time she goes by solely her first last name, Albarracin, and so I decided to refer to her as Jennifer Albarracin after consulting her preferences.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Jennifer Albarracin at the William and Mary Barnes and Noble on Saturday, April 7. We were originally meeting to interview Elias Martinez, a father of English Language Learning students in WJCC schools. However, by some miscommunication, even though he arrived at the bookstore, we were never able to find each other. I'm guessing it was an issue with parking. After waiting an hour, I interviewed Jennifer. We discussed her own experience growing up in Fairfax, Virginia with the label of"ESL" and how it drove her towards academic success because she wanted to leave behind the term "ESL" as an identifier. We also touched on her parents' interactions with the school system and how her relationship with her parents was strained by communication barriers. Today, Jennifer is a William and Mary student, minoring in Latin American studies in order to learn more about her own roots. The background noise is relatively loud throughout the interview, but the recording is still understandable. Although she does state her name as Jennifer Albarracin Moya in the recording, most of the time she goes by solely her first last name, Albarracin, and so I decided to refer to her as Jennifer Albarracin after consulting her preferences.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Dr. Barko-Alva on Wednesday, March 21 in Swem library in a group study lounge on the first floor (this gives reference for the occasional muffled voices in the background). Earlier in the day weren't sure if the interview was going to happen because it was snowy, but we did end up completing the interview. We discussed Dr. Barko-Alava's educational background, beginning with her high school experience in Peru to finishing high school in the U.S. and going on to succeed at the University of Florida. She began teaching English her junior year of college and once she graduated, she worked in the local public-school system. Dr. Barko-Alva went back to UF to earn her Master's and Ph.D, and finally found herself at William and Mary. We also discussed her involvement in educational activist work in Virginia and her experiences 'in the Williamsburg-James City County school system. There were a few sections of the narrative that were removed at the request of the narrator for various reasons including a confidential conversation Dr. Barko-Alva is not at liberty to reveal. However, none of the deleted sections were crucial to the narrative being recounted.
The content of this note comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Dr. Barko-Alva on Wednesday, March 21 in Swem library in a group study lounge on the first floor (this gives reference for the occasional muffled voices in the background). Earlier in the day weren't sure if the interview was going to happen because it was snowy, but we did end up completing the interview. We discussed Dr. Barko-Alava's educational background, beginning with her high school experience in Peru to finishing high school in the U.S. and going on to succeed at the University of Florida. She began teaching English her junior year of college and once she graduated, she worked in the local public-school system. Dr. Barko-Alva went back to UF to earn her Master's and Ph.D, and finally found herself at William and Mary. We also discussed her involvement in educational activist work in Virginia and her experiences 'in the Williamsburg-James City County school system. There were a few sections of the narrative that were removed at the request of the narrator for various reasons including a confidential conversation Dr. Barko-Alva is not at liberty to reveal. However, none of the deleted sections were crucial to the narrative being recounted.
The content of this note comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Laura Carver on Tuesday, March 20 at her office in Hornsby Middle School. Unfortunately, a small portion of the oral history was lost because the voice recorder's memory card filled up, and I did not notice it until after she was done responding to my question. However, the unrecorded section could not have been much longer than two or three minutes. Ms. Carver is an English as a Second Language teacher in the WJCC school system and has been since 2015, so we began the interview with a brief overview of her day-to-day interactions with English Language Leaners and their parents. We also discussed her educational background and her experience working as a missionary and how both impact her interpretation of her role as an ESL teacher. We ended the interview discussing the challenges of ESL education, specifically in the local area, faced by the ELL students, their teachers, their families and guardians, and WJCC school system .and a few possible ways to better address those challenges in the future. There were three separate sections that were removed at the request of the Ms. Carver and they are noted in the transcript. Nothing crucial to the slory line of her narrative was lost by these deletions.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Laura Carver on Tuesday, March 20 at her office in Hornsby Middle School. Unfortunately, a small portion of the oral history was lost because the voice recorder's memory card filled up, and I did not notice it until after she was done responding to my question. However, the unrecorded section could not have been much longer than two or three minutes. Ms. Carver is an English as a Second Language teacher in the WJCC school system and has been since 2015, so we began the interview with a brief overview of her day-to-day interactions with English Language Leaners and their parents. We also discussed her educational background and her experience working as a missionary and how both impact her interpretation of her role as an ESL teacher. We ended the interview discussing the challenges of ESL education, specifically in the local area, faced by the ELL students, their teachers, their families and guardians, and WJCC school system .and a few possible ways to better address those challenges in the future. There were three separate sections that were removed at the request of the Ms. Carver and they are noted in the transcript. Nothing crucial to the slory line of her narrative was lost by these deletions.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Laura Carver on Tuesday, March 20 at her office in Hornsby Middle School. Unfortunately, a small portion of the oral history was lost because the voice recorder's memory card filled up, and I did not notice it until after she was done responding to my question. However, the unrecorded section could not have been much longer than two or three minutes. Ms. Carver is an English as a Second Language teacher in the WJCC school system and has been since 2015, so we began the interview with a brief overview of her day-to-day interactions with English Language Leaners and their parents. We also discussed her educational background and her experience working as a missionary and how both impact her interpretation of her role as an ESL teacher. We ended the interview discussing the challenges of ESL education, specifically in the local area, faced by the ELL students, their teachers, their families and guardians, and WJCC school system .and a few possible ways to better address those challenges in the future. There were three separate sections that were removed at the request of the Ms. Carver and they are noted in the transcript. Nothing crucial to the slory line of her narrative was lost by these deletions.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I sent these questions sent to Dr. Patricia Tilghman by email, which explains the odd formatting of this document. Her responses follow each bolded question. Dr. Tilghman gave me an overview of the ESL program in WJCC schools as well as information about her own background in ESL education. She also discussed a few of the largest challenges WJCC schools face in engaging parents of ESL students. Informed consent was received through email. I have printed that out, along with a Deed of Gift.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted and later indexed by Marriya Schwarz. The interview took place during the evening of 4.4.18 at the College of William & Mary's Swem Library in Group Study Room 235, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall, the quality of the interview is fairly clear. There is some interference due to people talking and playing music loudly over in the next room. During the interview, Alexis Brender A. Brandis discussed her experiences as an athlete. She has been involved with Track & Field, gymnastics, and Tae Kwon Do. She went on to discuss some of her experiences as a current member of the College of William & Mary's Track & Field team. She reflected on her experiences with various Williamsburg-James City County Schools and discussed different experiences with teachers. Towards the end of the interview, she discussed her relationship with her family, namely her unofficial "adoptive brother," Ramon, her experiences so far as a sophomore at the College of William & Mary, and her experiences with having a connection to both the Williamsburg community and the College.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted and later indexed by Marriya Schwarz. The interview took place during the evening of 4.4.18 at the College of William & Mary's Swem Library in Group Study Room 235, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall, the quality of the interview is fairly clear. There is some interference due to people talking and playing music loudly over in the next room. During the interview, Alexis Brender A. Brandis discussed her experiences as an athlete. She has been involved with Track & Field, gymnastics, and Tae Kwon Do. She went on to discuss some of her experiences as a current member of the College of William & Mary's Track & Field team. She reflected on her experiences with various Williamsburg-James City County Schools and discussed different experiences with teachers. Towards the end of the interview, she discussed her relationship with her family, namely her unofficial "adoptive brother," Ramon, her experiences so far as a sophomore at the College of William & Mary, and her experiences with having a connection to both the Williamsburg community and the College.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Marriya Schwarz and indexed by Brenna Cowardin. The interview was later transcribed by Marriya Schwarz. The interview took place during the evening of 4/12/18 in front of theater at the Williamsburg Regional Library on Scotland Street, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall, the quality of the interview is fairly clear, but the volume is somewhat low. There is some interference due to people filing in and out of the Williamsburg Library, but the audio still can be heard. During the interview, Sylvia Shearin Willis discussed her experiences with education within Williamsburg-James City County Schools, primarily her experiences with Bruton Heights School and later James Blair High School after integration in 1966. She reflected on the differences between the two schools. She also discussed her experiences with the different teaching at both schools and minority teaching. Towards the end of the interview, she also discussed her experiences with historically black colleges, as well as the educational experiences of her two daughters. For clarity and as requested by the narrator, the transcriber has eliminated every "um," "uh," and "like" from the transcription.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Marriya Schwarz and indexed by Brenna Cowardin. The interview was later transcribed by Marriya Schwarz. The interview took place during the evening of 4/12/18 in front of theater at the Williamsburg Regional Library on Scotland Street, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall, the quality of the interview is fairly clear, but the volume is somewhat low. There is some interference due to people filing in and out of the Williamsburg Library, but the audio still can be heard. During the interview, Sylvia Shearin Willis discussed her experiences with education within Williamsburg-James City County Schools, primarily her experiences with Bruton Heights School and later James Blair High School after integration in 1966. She reflected on the differences between the two schools. She also discussed her experiences with the different teaching at both schools and minority teaching. Towards the end of the interview, she also discussed her experiences with historically black colleges, as well as the educational experiences of her two daughters. For clarity and as requested by the narrator, the transcriber has eliminated every "um," "uh," and "like" from the transcription.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Shamir Bearfield at Swem Library, located rather centrally on the William and Mary campus, in group study room 118. This room is located on the quieter side of the first floor of Swem, and we were therefore able converse without interruption throughout the interview. The interview focused on Shamir's educational experiences growing up, particularly his movement from public to private school and the influence of football on his academic career. We also discussed his transition from a public middle school to a private high school and how that better prepared him for college at William and Mary.
The content of this note comes directly from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Shamir Bearfield at Swem Library, located rather centrally on the William and Mary campus, in group study room 118. This room is located on the quieter side of the first floor of Swem, and we were therefore able converse without interruption throughout the interview. The interview focused on Shamir's educational experiences growing up, particularly his movement from public to private school and the influence of football on his academic career. We also discussed his transition from a public middle school to a private high school and how that better prepared him for college at William and Mary.
The content of this note comes directly from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Shamir Bearfield at Swem Library, located rather centrally on the William and Mary campus, in group study room 118. This room is located on the quieter side of the first floor of Swem, and we were therefore able converse without interruption throughout the interview. The interview focused on Shamir's educational experiences growing up, particularly his movement from public to private school and the influence of football on his academic career. We also discussed his transition from a public middle school to a private high school and how that better prepared him for college at William and Mary.
The content of this note comes directly from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Marriya Schwarz with Nicholas DeAtley indexing during the interview. Marriya Schwarz later transcribed the entire interview. The interview took place in the afternoon of 2/6/18 in the College Apartments where the American Studies Department is located at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. During the interview, Andrew Cotman discussed his experiences growing up in Henrico, Virginia. He described his experience with education starting from elementary school to now, where he is currently a senior at the College of William & Mary. For clarity, I have eliminated every "um" and "uh."
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Marriya Schwarz with Nicholas DeAtley indexing during the interview. Marriya Schwarz later transcribed the entire interview. The interview took place in the afternoon of 2/6/18 in the College Apartments where the American Studies Department is located at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. During the interview, Andrew Cotman discussed his experiences growing up in Henrico, Virginia. He described his experience with education starting from elementary school to now, where he is currently a senior at the College of William & Mary. For clarity, I have eliminated every "um" and "uh."
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Marriya Schwarz with Nicholas DeAtley indexing during the interview. Marriya Schwarz later transcribed the entire interview. The interview took place in the afternoon of 2/6/18 in the College Apartments where the American Studies Department is located at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. During the interview, Andrew Cotman discussed his experiences growing up in Henrico, Virginia. He described his experience with education starting from elementary school to now, where he is currently a senior at the College of William & Mary. For clarity, I have eliminated every "um" and "uh."
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
The interview with Brenna Cowardin was recorded on a Tuesday afternoon in a group study room in Earl Greg Swem Library on the William & Mary Campus. Other than our voices, the room was quiet because the door was closed. The room was lined with windows in Brenna's line of sight, which showed students walking around study tables and talking. The only other person in the room was the indexer, Shamir Bearfield. Brenna has a passion education, especially for students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Brenna talks about her interest in education as she reflects on her own experience in the Harrisonburg city public schools in Virginia. Although she has no current plans for entering the educational field, she hopes to use her acquisition of the Spanish language to bridge the gaps for these students and their families in the American public education system.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
The interview with Brenna Cowardin was recorded on a Tuesday afternoon in a group study room in Earl Greg Swem Library on the William & Mary Campus. Other than our voices, the room was quiet because the door was closed. The room was lined with windows in Brenna's line of sight, which showed students walking around study tables and talking. The only other person in the room was the indexer, Shamir Bearfield. Brenna has a passion education, especially for students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Brenna talks about her interest in education as she reflects on her own experience in the Harrisonburg city public schools in Virginia. Although she has no current plans for entering the educational field, she hopes to use her acquisition of the Spanish language to bridge the gaps for these students and their families in the American public education system.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
The interview with Brenna Cowardin was recorded on a Tuesday afternoon in a group study room in Earl Greg Swem Library on the William & Mary Campus. Other than our voices, the room was quiet because the door was closed. The room was lined with windows in Brenna's line of sight, which showed students walking around study tables and talking. The only other person in the room was the indexer, Shamir Bearfield. Brenna has a passion education, especially for students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Brenna talks about her interest in education as she reflects on her own experience in the Harrisonburg city public schools in Virginia. Although she has no current plans for entering the educational field, she hopes to use her acquisition of the Spanish language to bridge the gaps for these students and their families in the American public education system.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Nicholas DeAtley in a classroom on the third floor of the William and Mary College Apartments building. Nicholas provides a brief yet, enlightening account of his life history. Nicholas discusses a wonderful history of his upbringing from being born in Colombia and brought to the United States at a very young age, to his wonderful childhood with his adoptive family, and his aspirations to play sports in college.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Nicholas DeAtley in a classroom on the third floor of the William and Mary College Apartments building. Nicholas provides a brief yet, enlightening account of his life history. Nicholas discusses a wonderful history of his upbringing from being born in Colombia and brought to the United States at a very young age, to his wonderful childhood with his adoptive family, and his aspirations to play sports in college.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Marriya Schwarz in the third floor 311 classroom of the William and Mary American Studies academic building, located on 114 North Boundary St. Williamsburg, VA 23185. This was my first time interviewing with the Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear, however the volume of the interview was a little low. This was Marriya's first time being interviewed so she was a little nervous despite some nerves, overall the interview went very well and was very natural. Marriya discusses in the interview where she is from and her upbringing. Detailed are her experiences growing up in Herndon, Virginia with her sister as well as her transition to high school where she excelled in many extracurricular activities. As a high school senior she also detailed many of her experiences transitioning from high school to college and the nerve wrecking college decision process that many seniors go through so often. Throughout my transcript I have decided to remove the majority of non-verbal utterances such as "uh" and "um" because it does not represent by my opinion an important aspect of Marriya's speaking style. I also felt it hindered the fluidity of the transcript as it occurred throughout the interview quite often. Marriya is a very academically focused person, who has garnered some very highly regarded awards from her scholastic work. Her ultimate goal is to become a screenwriter and intends to follow that passion after she graduates from the College of William and Mary.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Marriya Schwarz in the third floor 311 classroom of the William and Mary American Studies academic building, located on 114 North Boundary St. Williamsburg, VA 23185. This was my first time interviewing with the Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear, however the volume of the interview was a little low. This was Marriya's first time being interviewed so she was a little nervous despite some nerves, overall the interview went very well and was very natural. Marriya discusses in the interview where she is from and her upbringing. Detailed are her experiences growing up in Herndon, Virginia with her sister as well as her transition to high school where she excelled in many extracurricular activities. As a high school senior she also detailed many of her experiences transitioning from high school to college and the nerve wrecking college decision process that many seniors go through so often. Throughout my transcript I have decided to remove the majority of non-verbal utterances such as "uh" and "um" because it does not represent by my opinion an important aspect of Marriya's speaking style. I also felt it hindered the fluidity of the transcript as it occurred throughout the interview quite often. Marriya is a very academically focused person, who has garnered some very highly regarded awards from her scholastic work. Her ultimate goal is to become a screenwriter and intends to follow that passion after she graduates from the College of William and Mary.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Marriya Schwarz in the third floor 311 classroom of the William and Mary American Studies academic building, located on 114 North Boundary St. Williamsburg, VA 23185. This was my first time interviewing with the Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear, however the volume of the interview was a little low. This was Marriya's first time being interviewed so she was a little nervous despite some nerves, overall the interview went very well and was very natural. Marriya discusses in the interview where she is from and her upbringing. Detailed are her experiences growing up in Herndon, Virginia with her sister as well as her transition to high school where she excelled in many extracurricular activities. As a high school senior she also detailed many of her experiences transitioning from high school to college and the nerve wrecking college decision process that many seniors go through so often. Throughout my transcript I have decided to remove the majority of non-verbal utterances such as "uh" and "um" because it does not represent by my opinion an important aspect of Marriya's speaking style. I also felt it hindered the fluidity of the transcript as it occurred throughout the interview quite often. Marriya is a very academically focused person, who has garnered some very highly regarded awards from her scholastic work. Her ultimate goal is to become a screenwriter and intends to follow that passion after she graduates from the College of William and Mary.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Mr. Robert Braxton in the College Apartments, which is located on Boundary Street in Williamsburg, VA, in the office of the Williamsburg Documentary Project. Mr. Braxton was very engaged with the topic and welcoming of any questions that we had for him. He began his interview by drawing out a revised version of a map of the Triangle, which we drew a copy of. Having grown up in the area surrounding the Triangle, Mr. Braxton had a valuable perspective on the area. We covered topics regarding the businesses that were located on the Triangle, how the redevelopment project occurred, and the progress that Williamsburg is making today, in addition to Mr. Braxton's experience on City Council.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Steve Harris in College Apartments 5a, overlooking the businesses and traffic at the corner of Prince George Street and South Boundary Street. It was a nice day out and we were lucky that Mr. Harris, who was visiting from Michigan where he now spends much of his time, had lent of his limited time in Williamsburg to the WDP's research of the Triangle Block. The conversation spanned the pre-redevelopment, redevelopment, and post-redevelopment periods of the Triangle's history, starting from Mr. Harris's days at Marshall-Wythe Law School. Mr. Harris brought with him a series of printed-out aerial photographs of the Triangle which he refers to multiple times during the interview.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
Samantha and I interviewed Mr. Parker in one of the conference rooms on the first floor of College Apartments. He brought along a large binder full of documents that he allowed us to make copies of later, so there are times throughout the recording and transcript that he pauses to look at his materials or pull out a piece for our use. We discovered him through his association with the Society of Friends of African American History, the group responsible for the monument at the Triangle, so a lot of our focus was on that. He also shared his personal feelings about redevelopment and other issues surrounding the history of African Americans in Williamsburg. Early in the interview, there is some confusion over where Mr. Parker was to sign on the informed consent form, so there are pauses as we examined the form.
The content of this note is taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I, Kandace Kimber, and Francie Zidonis interviewed Tony Conyers in Adriene's office in the College Apartments. Unfortunately, the room wasn't sound proof and there were renovations being done in the hallway so there is some background noise that can be heard in recording. Conyers is a native to Williamsburg and has spent majority of his career in both local and federal government. During the interview we discuss his upbringing and adulthood in Williamsburg, his experience developing new initiatives for the citizens in the city, and what he envisions for Williamsburg and James City County in the future.
The content of this note comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed former City Councilman Scott Foster in one of the offices on the second floor of the college apartments. It was a very comfortable and casual atmosphere and I believe Mr. Foster had no trouble expressing himself in that environment. Scott Foster was a former student at the College of William & Mary ('10) and the first student to be elected to the Williamsburg City Council serving from 2010-2018. He has now retired from the City Council and resides in Skipwith Farms with his wife, working at a local law firm. We spoke a lot about Foster's time at the college (as well as, the law school), affordability in Williamsburg, and his overall passion for the city.
The content of this note comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
We interviewed Roy Gerardi and Tyrone Franklin in a small office in the Municipal Building, located at 401 Lafayette Street, on Friday, April 12. Mr. Gerardi could not stay for the duration of the interview, but before he was called out, he discussed his role in the Williamsburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (WRHA), some of the programs available for low-income residents, and what he terms the "five-fold reality" of poverty. During his half of the interview, Mr. Franklin, the newly hired executive director for the WRHA, spoke about his experiences with affordable housing in his previous roles and his plans for Williamsburg moving forward.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Albert and Liz Johnson in the living room of their home in the BrookHaven neighborhood, which is located off of Ironbound road in James City County. While both Al and Liz participated in the interview, only Al wore a microphone so many of Liz's contributions are quiet or difficult to hear. I have done my best to transcribe them accurately, but some of her comments were indistinguishable due to the distance. The Johnsons seemed happy to welcome us into their home and to speak with us about Brookhaven. They have participated in the Williamsburg Documentary Project in the past and are experienced interviewees among American Studies students. During the interview the Johnsons showed us plans for the neighborhood, documents from Al's restaurant career, and photographs of their restaurant. We discussed the history and milieu of Brookhaven and Al's role as a founder of the neighborhood and a local entrepreneur.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Mr. Small in a conference room in the Public Works and Utilities department of the Williamsburg Municipal Building, located off of Lafayette Street in Williamsburg, Virginia. Mr. Small is a Williamsburg native and the current city engineer. His father worked in city planning in Williamsburg and James City County as well, helping to develop neighborhoods like Newtown and Fords Colony. As someone who has lived here for almost his entire life, Mr. Small has developed an extensive interest in the history of the development of Williamsburg. Our interview covers a number of topics, including why Williamsburg and the surrounding areas began to expand and develop in the eighties and nineties, moving into the history of various neighborhoods and areas, and finishing with a better understanding about how various aspects of the environment affect the way the city is developed. Throughout the course of the interview, there are various references to Google Maps, which Mr. Small was showing us on a projector, and to a smaller map in the room of Williamsburg with the understanding that it looks like a turkey.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Kandace Kimber in one of the Swem Library study rooms on the first floor (room 134C). The room was noticeably brighter than many of the surrounding rooms and areas and did somewhat disturb the individuals in the room. Kandace is a senior at the College and a Virginia native coming from Petersburg, VA. We spoke a lot about her living situation and went into great detail about her plans for the future. Kandace had a very relaxed demeanor and if she was nervous for the interview, one could not tell. A variety of topics were touched on during the interview concerning Kandace's personal life goals, about which she seemed very keen to talk about.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Resha in her office in the College Apartmnets, located on South Boundary Street in Williamsburg, VA. This is a practice interview for class, my second time every interviewing someone and my first time leading an interview on my own. Ms. Resha is 24 years old and a graduate student in the American Studies department, and the Teaching Assistant for our class. She studies Arab and Muslim representation in comic books. We discussed her research to some extent, but also focused a lot on her sense of what home has meant to her at varying points in her life. Ms. Resha considers herself to be "from" Florida, but has also lived in a number of places like Alabama, Charlottesville, VA, and Williamsburg.
The content of this note comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Brenna Thanner in a Swem library study room (134c), adjacent to the computer lab. We were the first in our group to interview. The room we were in was a comfortable size but the fluorescent overhead lights were extremely bright and hot. In the interview, I primarily ask Brenna about her family home in Jacksonville, Florida and her experiences in Williamsburg.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Francie Zidonis in College Apartments (114 N Boundary Street) room 224 the evening of Sunday, February 24th, 2019. By the time we had finished this interview, it was dark outside. The narrator, indexer, and myself had each already participated in two other practice interviews prior to conducting this interview. There is no remarkable outside noise; however, there are occasionally moments when laughter overwhelms the interview. We discussed Francie's hometown, Columbus, Ohio, and Williamsburg, often the College of William & Mary specifically, among other things.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Hallie Feinman and indexed by Austin Curtis. The interview took place on the morning of 2/8/21 via Zoom. Ava Coles discussed her childhood growing up in rural Virginia and the changes that came when her family moved to Charlottesville. She talks about her relationship with her family and siblings as well as her community at large. Special interest is paid to the impacts of her education and upbringing and the impacts they have had on her life as an adult.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Austin Curtis and indexed by Ava Coles. The interview took place on the afternoon of April 14, 2021 over Zoom. Janet Cummings describes the ways in which she has adjusted the efforts of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Williamsburg to strengthen bonds of sisterhood among Latter-day Saint women.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Ava Coles and indexed by Hallie Feinman. The interview took place on the morning of 2/8/21 via Zoom. Austin Curtis discussed his childhood growing up as the son of two diplomats. He talks about the various places he lived as well as his relationship with his siblings and why he chose to attend William & Mary.
Description comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
Davis does not wanted monetary publications to use her interview.
This interview was conducted by Jasmine Geonzon and was indexed by Maeve Quigley. The entire interview was not transcribed. The interview took place on the morning of 4/26/2021 over Zoom. Ms. Davis discussed her experiences as a patron and employee of the Williamsburg Regional Library, the library's role in the Williamsburg community, and the WRL's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This oral history was conducted by Austin Curtis who later indexed and used happyscribe.com to transcribe the interview. This interview occurred at noon on February 8th, 2021 in Ava Cole's Personal Zoom Meeting Room. Hallie Feinman talks about her childhood and dissociative disorder. A condition which as she describes it as feeling like "watching someone else pantomime through life [like] you," (03:40). Hallie Feinmen also addresses how COVID quarantines have affected her mental health.
Description taken from headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Maeve Quigley and was indexed by Jasmine Geonzon. The entire interview was later transcribed using Otter.ai. The interview took place on the afternoon of 4/12/2021 over Zoom. Ms. Fowler discussed her life and work history, her role as the director of the Williamsburg Regional Library, the library's role in the Williamsburg community, and the WRL's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Amy Nadel and Johnette Weaver with Colleen Rodgers indexing. The interview took place virtually via Zoom video conferencing software in the afternoon of 4/30/21. All involved were sitting in their homes. Mrs. Weaver both helped interview her mother and served as another narrator by interjecting at times to provide helpful context to what Mrs. Gordon was saying. Mrs. Gordon discusses growing up in Magruder then moving to Highland Park, both Black neighborhoods. She shares her impressions of being a part of her Church community, going to segregated Bruton Heights School, being married to a Marine, and her desire to give her children as many educational opportunities as possible. Also, she shares her opinion of how Highland Park has changed over time and the impact of Covid 19 on her life.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Lauren White and indexed by Austin Curtis. The interview took place on the morning of April 28, 2021 over Zoom. Tawanda Hammond describes the ways in which she started operating her own decorative cake shop at a young age and moved around locations before ending up in Williamsburg. Hammond describes the ways her business was forced to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic and the adversities that she faced. Hammond also discusses the community of Williamsburg, and how it can improve on being more inclusive.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this exercise, Jasmine Geonzon interviews Ron Littman with assistance from Sol Gallego-Garcia, who indexed the interview as it was taking place. The interview took place in the afternoon of 2/10/2021, as each Ron, Jasmine, and Sol were each in their respective homes, meeting over a recorded Zoom session. Here, Ron Littman discusses growing up in Williamsburg, having an unconventional school trajectory, and current college life. This transcription was created with the help of Otter.ai with necessary adjustments made for accuracy.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Lauren White and indexed by Ava Coles. The interview took place on the afternoon of 2/25/21 over Zoom. Hatley Mason discussed his difficult decision to close Mermaid Books, which he ran for over eleven years.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview of Amy Nadel was conducted by Colleen Rodgers and indexed by Maeve Quigley on Sunday, February 7, 2021, at 3:40pm. The interview took place virtually due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and was done over Zoom, but Ms. Nadel was located in her room in an off-campus house. In the interview, Ms. Nadel discusses her experience of living abroad during the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Colleen Rodgers with Hallie Feinman indexing. The interview took place virtually via Zoom at 5:00pm on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. In the interview, Macie Osborn, the mother of two sons currently enrolled in Williamsburg-James City County (WJCC) Public Schools, discusses her experience with online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. She details the experiences of each of her sons, one in elementary school and one in middle school, and expresses gratitude for WJCC's ability to adapt to an ever-changing pandemic-era world.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Maeve Quigley on Zoom. She was in her on-campus dorm room, while I was in my off campus room. It was a cloudy, rainy day. Maeve seemed relaxed and ready to speak to us about her experience moving to different places while growing up because she was smiling throughout. She explained how living in three different regions within Virginia shaped her life. Maeve was 21 years old during the interview.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Miss Rodgers over Zoom. Miss Rodgers was excited to describe how her family history shared interesting parallels with John Steinbeck's East of Eden . She gave some background on the book before delving into her own family's stories, including some funny stories passed down from her grandparents and older relatives.
The description is taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Hallie Feinman with Colleen Rodgers indexing. This interview took place virtually over Zoom on Thursday, April 22nd, at 7 PM. The interview was roughly thirty minutes long. In the interview, local community college student Savannah Merriman talked about her time as a high school senior during the beginning of COVID-19 and her subsequent experiences with graduation, community college, and different communities in her life. Towards the latter half of the interview, Savannah spends time talking about her experiences with social media.
Description taken from headnote created by interview team.
This interview was conducted by Lauren White and indexed by Michelle Lelièvre. The interview took place on the afternoon of April 21, 2021 over Zoom. Michelle Lelièvre was in Richmond. Lauren White was in Williamsburg. Monique Sowell (MS1) and Michelle Seiling (MS2) were in the office of the Hound's Tale in Williamsburg. Sowell and Seiling discuss their relationship with Aromas Cafe, how they reacted to the early stages of the pandemic, and the adversities they faced. They also discuss the different programs they received financial aid from, as well as business plans for the upcoming future.
This description is taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Bishop David Trichler over Zoom. Bishop Trichler about becoming Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Williamsburg, how his congregation adjusted to COVID health protocols, and his own personal relationship with the Mormon faith.
The description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Colleen Rodgers with Amy Nadel indexing. The interview took place virtually via Zoom at 8:00pm on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. In the interview, Bruton High School senior Cate Westenberger discusses her life in Williamsburg. She describes her public school experience prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as her experience with extracurricular activities such as sports and her job at Wythe Candy in Colonial Williamsburg.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Ava Coles and indexed by Lauren White. The interview took place on the afternoon of 4/16/21 over Zoom. Becki Wildenburger discussed her engagement with House of Mercy as a Housing Navigator, personal motivations, and House of Mercy's relationship with the Williamsburg community. Ms. Wildenburger detailed the landscape of affordable housing in Williamsburg and discussed how her role has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This interview was conducted by Ava Coles on April 19th, 2021 over Zoom. Ms. Wolosynowski discussed the origins of the Williamsburg House of Mercy and her experience as the founder and executive director. During COVID-19, she forged critical community coalitions to further the mission of her organization and served the Williamsburg community through impressive food and housing services.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
An edited version of this oral history is being made available to researchers at the request of the interviewee.
In this roundtable interview, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation employees Adam Canaday, Janice Canaday, and Paul Undra Jeter join the Director of Engagement at the Muscarelle Museum and visual artist Steve Prince and discuss the memorialization of African American history in Williamsburg, representation in the arts, local and national resistance to historical truth-telling, and visions for honoring African American ancestors. The Canadays discuss how being descendants of the first Black families of Williamsburg shaped both their careers as interpreters of African American history in CW. They also detail the legacy of Black labor in Williamsburg and express their frustrations with current obstacles to include African American representations in museums. Mr. Prince discusses his role as a visual artist, how he incorporates tragic histories within beautiful images, the power of visual representation, and how the lack of African American representation in public spaces harms the community. The narrators ask each other questions and relate their experiences throughout their discussion since this was the first time the CW employees met Steve Prince and the interviewers. The interview was conducted by undergraduate student Katherine 'Kate' Zabinski and indexed by her classmate Jamie Carkenord on April 20, 2022, at the Colonial Williamsburg Interpreters Office located at 427 Franklin Street in Williamsburg, VA. In the roundtable, Zabinski references the conversations she previously had with other community members who share local history with the roundtable participants. The roundtable interview was completed for an oral history research project in AMST 410: The Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Jamie Carkenord and was indexed by Katherine Zabinski. The interview was transcribed. The interview took place on the morning of 1/28/2022 over Zoom. Ms. Clark discussed her life story moving across the country multiple times, what her childhood was like, and her college experience as an American Studies major.
This description is taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, William and Mary student Jamie Carkenord discusses how and why she chose to pursue an undergraduate degree in American Studies and how the program has influenced her life. Carkenord describes how she chose American Studies because the interdisciplinary elements that allow her to study many topics and choose her own specialization of her interests. She explains how her mother also majored in American studies and how her mother's descriptions of history departments discouraged her from majoring in history. In American Studies, Carkenord found ease in both completing classes and scheduling new ones. Carkenord discusses how her major has increased her interest in Black American history and overall histories of minority groups in the United States, which have been the most rewarding features of her degree work. Carkenord's journey in American studies has changed the way she views social, political, legal, and economic factors of American society and she states that she continues to look for why historical events happen and who made them occur.
This description is taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted and indexed by Teresa Clark. The interview took place on the afternoon of 04/22/2022 over Zoom. Ms. Cleveland discussed her journey as an artist in places like Chicago, Arizona, Williamsburg, and more. She discussed her artistic medium, the themes she draws on, and how her Williamsburg public art sculptures came to be. Ms. Cleveland also embeds her perspective on Williamsburg's public art scene in a story about coming back to the town herself and becoming a mother.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Christopher Custalow (a citizen of the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation), Kody Grant (a citizen of the Pueblo of Isleta and a descendant of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), and Martin Saniga (a citizen of the Saponi Tribe out of Person County, North Carolina and Halifax County, Virginia) discuss their experiences working as American Indian interpreters in the tourism industry and the evolution of Indigenous representation in Colonial Williamsburg. The narrators share information about their personal journeys with their cultural identities, the difficulties and rewards about their career, and their hopes for the expansion of American Indian programming at Colonial Williamsburg. This interview was conducted by Alison Walsh, and it was indexed by Alex Luck. The entire interview was transcribed. The interview took place during the morning of 04/19/2022 on a Zoom call.
This description was taken from a headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted, transcribed and indexed by Teresa Clark, The interview took place on the afternoon of 02/18/2022 at the city Municipal Buildings. Williamsburg Public Art Council members and Tourism Development specialist and WPAC staff liaison Joanna Skrabala discussed their role on the council, their view of public art, and the WPAC's work.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Rev. Dr. Julie Grace discusses how her involvement in the Historic First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, VA throughout her childhood led to her career as a minister and her dedication to preserving African American history. She details her family's history living in Williamsburg and working for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, her experiences going to segregated schools, and how many Black residents view the tourism districts differently with their ancestors' dispossessions in mind. Dr. Grace describes how her ancestors' 19th-century lives as successful Black business and landowners along Duke of Gloucester Street, like Alexander Dunlop, and the overall prosperity of the African American community in Williamsburg are neglected histories that need to be commemorated in the city's physical landscape. She also expresses her personal thoughts on memorialization of African American history in the Colonial Capital of Virginia. The interview was conducted by undergraduate student Katherine 'Kate' Zabinski and indexed by her classmate Karissa McDonald on April 25, 2022, using the Zoom video conferencing platform. In the interview, Zabinski references the roundtable discussion she previously conducted with other community members who share local history with Dr. Grace. The interview was completed for an oral history research project in AMST 410: the Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted in-person at the Williamsburg Regional Library in Williamsburg, Virginia during the afternoon of April 28th, 2022. This interview was conducted by Kirsten Knisely, and it was indexed by Alison Walsh. Robert Haas was the narrator. Mr. Haas described his work as the Director of Program Services at the library. This job allows for him to plan and coordinate the live performing arts performances within the library theater. Mr. Haas discussed the history of performing arts at the library, the role of performing arts in Williamsburg, funding and financial situation of the arts in Williamsburg, and his successes and failures within his job. He also discusses the role of the college and tourism in the success of the library. He also discusses the importance of increasing diversity. The interview was recorded using a Zoom audio recording device. The interview was just under an hour.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Williamsburg resident Neill Hollands describes his job as the president of the Board of Directors for the Williamsburg Players. Mr. Hollands has been working with the Williamsburg Players for 10 years.. The Players are a non-profit community theater group that runs completely out of their theater on Hubbard Lane. The group typically puts on 12 shows a year that are funded by donations, support from the city, and ticket sales. Hollands discusses the financial situation of the Players and how COVID-19 impacted in-person activities. The interview continues on to discuss the community building aspect of community theater. He describes how the theater community is very well-loved among the older community within Williamsburg. Hollands discusses the importance of diversity within the Performing arts world, and how the Williamsburg Players work to increase diversity, but ultimately sruggle. This interview was completed as a part of Kirsten Knisely's research project on Performing arts in Williamsburg, Virginia. Knisely conducted the interview in-person using zoom audio recording tools. The interview took place on April 24th, 2022 at the James-York Playhouse, where the Williamsburg Players are based. This project is associated with the American Studies program, and will complete the AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelievre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Kirsten Knisely her early childhood and high school years. She describes her family life and speaks about people she admires. Kirsten grew up in Arlington, Virginia and in the interview, she speaks on her high school experience and friendships. Kirsten details some core memories as well as fandoms she was involved in high school and her beliefs in the tooth fairy and Santa. The interview was completed for an assignment in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted and indexed by Alison Walsh. The entire interview was transcribed using Zoom Video Communications. The interview took place on the morning of 1/30/2022 over Zoom. Ms. Luck describes her life history, including growing up in rural North Carolina, grappling with differing viewpoints from her family and community, attending the College of William & Mary, her passions for dance and history, and significant influences on her life.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Alex Luck and was indexed by Alex Luck. The entire interview was transcribed using Word afterwards. The interview took place on the morning of 1/30/2022 over Zoom. Karissa McDonald discussed topics about different stages of her life, including International Schooling, her college experience, and her plans for graduation.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, former Williamsburg resident Jessika Weaver Miller (daughter of Williamsburg activist Johnette Gordon Weaver and granddaughter of Highland Park resident Myrtle Gordon) describes her professional experiences in the U.S. Navy and in insurance work and education in Australia. She speaks about joining the Navy after attending the U.S. Naval Academy and starting a family with her Australian husband in Australia. There, she developed an interest in local Indigenous cultures and decided to pursue teaching professionally. Miller describes her decision to teach in the Torres Strait, a remote northern island region populated by Indigenous communities. She talks about the challenges of cross-cultural teaching and working in a remote school with limited technological resources and low literacy rates, and her effort to start a Navy Cadet program in the area. She then shifts to discuss her own educational experience in Williamsburg, Virginia, particularly at Jamestown High School, a majority-white school. She speaks to her involvement with the First Baptist Church in Williamsburg and her relationship with churches in Australia. The interview concludes with a discussion of her two elementary school-aged children and her educational and social goals for them. This interview was conducted by undergraduate W&M senior Jamie Carkenord on April 29, 2022 using the Zoom video conferencing platform. Jessika Miller was Zooming in from Thursday Island, Australia, so her local time was 9:00am on April 30th. This interview was completed as part of Carkenord's research project in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted in-person by Teresa Clark and indexed by Katherine Zabinski at the Culture Fix building located at 410 Francis St. in Williamsburg, VA on the morning of 4/27/2022. Mrs. Wendy Miller discussed her experiences as a long-time resident of Williamsburg who captures local experiences as the director and photographer of Culture Fix.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by and indexed by Karissa McDonald. The entire interview was later transcribed using Otter.ai. The interview took place on the afternoon of 4/12/2021 over Zoom. Mr. Russell discussed his life and work history, his experiences with ghost stories, and the famous ghost stories of Williamsburg.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Martin Saniga, who identifies as Saponi, Native, and American, discusses how growing up in Newport News, Virginia with his white mother and adoptive white father initially made him feel removed from his Saponi culture. He gradually reclaimed his culture by involving himself and making a difference within the Indigenous community of the greater Williamsburg area. On top of his career, he works with an Indigenous youth culture camp and is the president of a nonprofit language revitalization consortium. Mr. Saniga describes his career path: first joining the Coast Guard, later working as a site supervisor for Jamestown Settlement, and now working as an interpreter and head of the American Indian Initiative for Colonial Williamsburg. Mr. Saniga answers questions about the public reception of recent American Indian programming, museum ownership of Indigenous objects, the migration history of the Saponi people, William & Mary's complicated relationship with the local Indigenous community, and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on his work. The interview was conducted by undergraduate students Alex Luck and Alison Walsh on February 24th, 2022 using the Zoom video conferencing platform. The interview was indexed by undergraduate students Kirsten Knisely and Karissa McDonald. The interview was completed for the Guest Interview assignment in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
Within this interview on January 30th, 2022 at 10:15am, Kirsten Knisely interviews her peer Alison Walsh. After Alison approves consent to conduct the interview, Kirsten begins her questions. Throughout the interview, Kirsten asks Alison questions concerning her youth and growing up, particularly what she was interested in as a kid and throughout high school. Alison describes her passions for sports and extracurriculars. She also describes her family and their importance to her. Kirsten continues to ask Alison about her time at William and Mary, what she is involved in, and who she spends her time with. Alison talks about her participation in a multitude of extracurricular activities and talks about her closest friends in college. The interview then moves to discussing the future, where Alison describes her plans to be an environmental lawyer and potentially starting a family one day. At the end of the interview, Alison signs the deed of gift form.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Ms. Johnette Weaver discusses how her personal history and education in Williamsburg, VA shaped her work as an advocate for social justice. She describes her family's arrival in Virginia in the late 17th century, their dislocations, and eventual establishment in Highland Park. Ms. Weaver explains her complicated relationship with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation alongside her pride in the work she has done as an interpreter there. She tells of her lifelong love of reading and of her choice to attend the historically Black college, Hampton University. Ms. Weaver discusses her social media manager position with Williamsburg Action, a social justice advocacy group that formed in 2020. The interview was conducted by undergraduate students Katherine Zabinski and Teresa Clark on February 15, 2022, using the Zoom video conferencing platform. In the interview, Clark and Zabinski reference the background knowledge they received about Johnette Weaver from assignments conducted in their undergraduate course AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre. Both the class assignment observations and interview were completed for an assignment in AMST 410.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, William and Mary student Katherine Zabinski describes her upbringing in a military family, how it exposed her to other cultures and helped inform her passion for American history, and also describes her path to the college and the love of hip hop DJing she picked up here. Zabinski narrates her family's moves from California to Washington State to Virginia, where she has lived since middle school. She explains that she does not consider uprooting multiple times a downside, except that she finds it awkward trying to describe where she is from. On the contrary, she describes how living in multiple places exposed her to more diverse American cultures, growing familiar with Native and Chicano communities in California, Indigenous and Asian-American communities in Washington, and Black communities along with other diverse cultures in Virginia. She describes moving to Virginia and the South as a culture shock, but enjoyed the diverse geographies along with the diverse cultures: the California deserts, Washington mountains, and Virginia cotton and cornfields. Zabinski describes the roots of her interest in history and the way attending predominantly Black middle and high schools and becoming friends with Black women inspired her to learn more about African-American history and American history that acknowledges white supremacy. She narrates how she came to be interested in William & Mary. Initially having thought to join the military or attend cosmetology school, it was her teachers who encouraged her to take summer classes in the NIAHD program at the college, causing her to fall in love with the campus and with colonial to revolutionary American history—with Richmond as one focus. Zabinski closes the interview by describing the extracurricular she has most enjoyed at William and Mary: the SOUL students of hip hop legacy club. She describes her involvement in the executive and social media branches of the club, and the DJing she had the opportunity to on a large and small scale during her time here.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, American Studies and Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies (GSWS) Professor Leisa Meyer narrates their experience living in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the surrounding areas as it pertains to the Queer community. Professor Meyer begins with detailing their life as a Professor at William and Mary, how much they care for their students and reform, and how they came to be a Professor and long-time resident of Williamsburg. They explain how the surrounding areas of Williamsburg have a more lively Queer presence, and details some of the history behind the notorious Gay/Lesbian bars in these more urbanized towns. Throughout the interview, there are discussions of what qualifies as a Queer space, what Williamsburg and the Queer community in the town can do to advance their presence in the Colonial city, and ends with concluding remarks about Williamsburg as a whole.
This interview is conducted by Natalie Corsello and indexed by Emma Blackwood. The interview is transcribed by Abby Mendez (they/them). The interview took place in person in the Haven on April 16th at 11:00am. Liz Cascone discusses her background in terms of education and her journey leading up to their move to Williamsburg, as well as her thoughts on the difficulties of finding Queer community and spaces as a non-student, non-retiree in Williamsburg.
In this interview, Marcus Banks Jr. discusses his upbringing in the sports world and those who have positively influenced his journey as a basketball player. A native of the Williamsburg and Newport News areas, Banks begins by explaining who introduced him to the game of basketball and how he fell in love with it. He discusses his experience with basketball prior to college, transferring to different high schools, and the process by which he developed his skills on and off the court, as well as how he was able to overcome adversity. He speaks on what the game has meant to him throughout his life, the various coaches who have helped mold him into the young man he is today, and teammates he has had the pleasure of playing alongside. Finally, Marcus elaborates on the countless lessons, skills, and experiences that basketball has afforded him, and how these things can be applied to other areas of his life.
In the following oral history, John McGlennon, a Professor in Government at the College of William & Mary and member of the Board of Supervisors of James City County, Virginia, discusses his interest in politics as a youth, his education and activities at Fordham University and Johns Hopkins University, and his participation in the Democratic Party in Williamsburg, Virginia. McGlennon explains how his New York childhood and background as a first-generation college student sparked his initial interest in politics, particularly in the Kennedy presidency. His increasing dissatisfaction with the Johnson presidency led McGlennon to become involved in the high school and college newspapers, which instilled a belief in the consequence of journalism and academia as avenues for influencing politics. McGlennon describes his impressions of the First Congressional District of Virginia upon arriving in Williamsburg in 1974, detailing his rise through the local Democratic Party from 1978 to 1981. Finally, he outlines his 1982 strategy to campaign against then-State Senator Herb Bateman in the general election for the First Congressional District of Virginia, including how he solicited PAC funds, participated in candidate-on-candidate debates, and the role of abortion in determining the final vote outcome. Williamsburg Documentary Project student Caleb Fulford conducted the interview on April 2, 2024, at 9:00 am with an Amcrest USB Microphone. Fulford and indexer Seth Novak reference the class assignment involving the interview in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This interview was conducted by Natalie Lopez and was indexed by Abigail Swanberg. This interview was transcribed by Natalie Lopez. It took place on April 17, 2024 in Swem Room 168. Cecilia Weaver discusses her internship experience at Colonial National Historical Park, her other internships and jobs, and her time at William & Mary. Topics of this interview include interning, archaeology, Geographic Information System (GIS), public history, museum work, and interpretation.
In this interview, Sam Beavin discusses the culture of music in Williamsburg and how people participate in it. He begins with his background of growing up in Parkland, Florida, and what music is common to that area. He then speaks about his involvement in a student band, Halcyon Lane, and their interactions with other bands on campus. He mentions his influences and genre tastes, and how those compare to the music he plays for Halcyon Lane. He then goes on to describe the locations he has played at, such as the Meridian, the Amphitheater, Sadler Center, Merchants' Square, and on a float during the 2023 Homecoming Parade. He elaborates on the people who listen to him play and how they identify, specifically whether there are students or otherwise. Sam concludes that he is more connected to the William and Mary music community, though enjoys those connections and is content with them. The interview was conducted by undergraduate student Seth Novak on April 7th, 2024, using Zoom H8 Digital Recorders in Earl Gregg Swem Library for the American Studies department Williamsburg Documentary Project.
Maureen Anderson was interviewed was by Abigail Swanberg. The interview was indexed by Joey Houska and Anika Ahammad. The entire interview was transcribed. The interview took place on the afternoon of 4/12/2024 in person at 3312 N Riverside Drive Lanexa 23089. The interview contains topics including family, stating a business, creating and running a farmer's market, self-sufficiency, farming, living in a historic house, and COVID-19.
This interview was conducted by Abigail Swanberg and indexed by Caleb Fulford and Gabe Dorsey. The interview occurred on April 26th, 2024, at 1:00 pm in Swem Library Room 118. This interview was conducted as part of the Williamsburg Documentary Project. Joey Houska is a senior at the College of William & Mary. They started and currently lead the Toano Walking Tour Project. This interview contains topics including revitalization efforts, community, William & Mary, walking arts, leadership, Ohio, and advocacy work.
In this interview, Abigail Swanberg discusses a condensed "life history", beginning with her life and family in Appomattox, Virginia, and continuing on to other topics such as her interest in football and participation in the marching band. She describes her high school experience under Covid-19 and how it differed from her introduction to college. Finally, she ponders her life goals and ultimate aspirations. The interview was conducted by undergraduate student Seth Novak on January 28th, 2024 using the Zoom video conferencing platform. This interview was completed for an assignment in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
In this interview, Caleb Fulford discusses his upbringing and how his parents' relative youth and complex relationship impacted him as a child, as well as his relationship with his younger sisters. He also discusses the impact of his friendship with his current roommate Georgia, who he has been friends with since middle school. He describes how his learning difficulties in school encouraged him to join the debate team and, later, pursue a legal career. He also speaks about how his family's religious differences impacted his ideas about politics. The interview was conducted by undergraduate student Natalie Lopez on January 30, 2024 using the Zoom video conferencing platform. This interview was completed for an assignment in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
In this interview, Deja Williams discusses her upbringing and college experience. She describes where she is from, schools attended, the decision to come to William & Mary, and college extracurriculars, including improv comedy and the desire to play an intramural sport.
In this interview, Emma Blackwood discusses her upbringing in Richmond, VA and her experiences through private school preparing her for college. She describes how quarantine impacted her family, as well as her transition to William and Mary. Soon to be graduating, Emma Blackwood outlines her post-college plans for law school, especially in environmental justice advocacy. The interview was conducted by undergraduate student Anika Ahammad on January 29, 2024 using the Zoom video conferencing platform. The interview was completed for an assignment in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
In the following interview, Gabe Dorsey discusses his early childhood and how his parents instilled an unwavering dedication to work, discipline, and spirituality. Gabe recalls deriving his name from the biblical archangel Gabriel, who declared to the Virgin Mary that she had been selected to bear the Son of God and served as a touchstone throughout his upbringing. He describes attending church every Sunday with his immediate family—his mother, father, two older brothers, and grandparents—and values the faith he observed between his parents as a marital unit. Gabe also reflects on how family, early education, and recreational athletics led him to pursue and compete in collegiate basketball at the College of William & Mary. He credits his father, a former college basketball player, with inspiring him and emphasizing the academic benefits of such a sport. I completed the interview for an assignment in the Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This interview was conducted by Gabe Dorsey and was indexed by Caleb Fulford. The entire interview was transcribed. The interview took place on the evening of 1/30/2024 over Zoom. Ms. Lopez gives a brief background on her hometown, upbringing, family life, and her ambitions as a motivated William and Mary student. She gives insight regarding her experiences being a kid from the west coast studying on the east coast, a young girl growing up in a Mexican household and a young woman discovering more and more about herself as she travels and grows through life. "In the words of Walt Whitman, 'we all contain multitudes'".
In this interview, Seth Novak discusses his experiences moving around Arlington, Virginia. He also talks about his family and the pets that his family has owned over the years, mostly cats. He talks about his experience volunteering at the Heritage Humane Society. Seth Novak also mentioned how he ended up at William & Mary, his current thoughts on being a senior who is graduating early, and his post-graduation plans.
In this interview, Laura Gonzalez Castro discusses her personal and professional life, their interaction, and what her work means to her. She describes her youth in Havana, Cuba, and how her experiences were similar and different from other citizens. She also discusses her immigration to the United States and the efforts that went into finding work here, bringing her family members, and how she ended up in Virginia. Gonzalez Castro then goes on to talk about her professional life in the Center for Child and Family Services, and how terminology can have a large impact on the clients she takes in, especially those considered "undocumented". Interest is also paid to her education in Cuba, as well as personal life, such as travels across Europe and domestically. The interview was conducted by undergraduate students Abby Mendez and Seth Novak on March 5th, 2024, using DGI microphones.
This Williamsburg Documentary Project guest interview was conducted in the dining area in the basement of First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia. Molly Robinson conducted the interview and Michelle Lelièvre indexed. Students enrolled in the WDP also attended and interacted with Mrs. Montgomery during the interview. Prior to sitting down with us, Mrs. Montgomery gave the class a tour of the historic First Baptist Church. This enriching tour took up much of our class period, so Mrs. Montgomery scheduled a follow-up oral history that took place on April 4, 2024. In this first interview, she discusses growing up in Winter Park, Florida, attending Hungerford High School in Eatonville, FL, traveling and performing with musician Bill Doggett, raising her daughter during her career as a musician, getting married and moving to Williamsburg, starting credit unions in the town, and entering various leadership positions, including Chairperson of the History Ministry at First Baptist Church. The recording is punctuated with sounds of a phone ringing (@ 7:20 and 9:18). Mrs. Montgomery can also be heard speaking to other members of First Baptist who were in the church during the interview (@ 19:27, 36:19, and 49:10). Around 49:00, several students had to excuse themselves to attend another class.
This oral history was a follow-up to the oral history interview conducted with Mrs. Liz Montgomery by the Williamsburg Documentary Project on February 22, 2024. Both interviews were conducted by Molly Robinson, with questions developed by Molly Robinson and Michelle Lelièvre. Given the expansive nature of Mrs. Montgomery's first interview, the WDP invited her to conduct a second interview where we could explore in greater depth some of the many fascinating topics she introduced, including her experience as a jazz vocalist touring with Bill Doggett in the 1960's, her work to establish credit unions at Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens, her work as a mother raising children in Williamsburg, and her leadership at the First Baptist Church. Mrs. Montgomery was very generous with her responses and shared details of her life that she had not previously disclosed publicly. She ended her interview by singing (unrehearsed!) a few bars from "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." The Williamsburg Documentary Project was honored to welcome Mrs. Montgomery and receive the gift of her stories.
In the following oral history, Meredith Poole, a Staff Archaeologist with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, discusses how discovering a fossil in her backyard at an early age sparked her passion for archaeology. She also cites numerous educators, from her elementary school teacher to a professor with whom Poole traveled to Belize for a semester abroad, as inspiratory figures in the initial development of her almost 39-year career. Poole explains how working on the 1985 excavation of the Shields Tavern site while completing her Master's Thesis for her MA in Anthropology from William & Mary helped to both ground her roots in the Williamsburg community and provide her with invaluable on-the-ground skills, such as appreciating the value of minute details and archeological storytelling, that would become central in her later work. She discusses her contributions to the 2022 excavation of the First Baptist Church Cite as among her proudest projects, describing the uncovering of such a personal history for the descendant community as a fulfilling process that exemplifies the value of archaeology. Poole also explains how she balanced her dual interests in fieldwork and obligations as a public-facing archaeologist with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, recalling as paramount her skills in creative writing and community development. She advises future archaeologists to focus on a specialized field of research that interests them and communicate the relevant knowledge in ways that the general public can understand and appreciate. Williamsburg Documentary Project students Caleb Fulford and Abigail Swanberg conducted the interview on February 20, 2024, at 2:00 pm with a Zoom H4N and DGI microphones provided by graduate student Molly Robinson. Fulford, Swanberg, and indexer Natalie Lopez reference the class assignment involving the interview in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This interview was conducted by Natalie Corsello and Emma Blackwood and was indexed by Anika Ahammad. The entire interview was transcribed. The interview took place on the afternoon of 2/13/2024 in person at Boswell Hall Room# 40 on 100 Ukrop Way, Williamsburg, VA. Tijuana Reeve discussed her journey to William & Mary, her advocacy in the Cape Henry Project, and also her personal experiences with pregnancy, stillbirth, and motherhood.
In this interview, Diane Langhorst discusses her experience of belonging and community as a student at the College of William and Mary in the class of 1968, detailing her life in chapters. She discusses the impact of being the middle child and the oldest daughter growing up in the church and transitioning to becoming a student. Further, she recalls the cultural changes of living in Williamsburg, as her parents didn't visit and there were no black students on campus, stating that the campus was isolated and segregated. She recounts how her religion fostered community, enabling a closer connection between her and her friends. She discusses how William and Mary felt insulated, how she felt little connection to the community outside of campus, and comments on the lack of news and political discussion. Diane cites the liberal arts education at the college as the inspiration for her study of sociology and subsequent career in social work. This interview was conducted by undergraduate students Caroline Cromwell and Leah Schrum and was indexed by Sarah Kinlaw. The interview took place in the Samuel E. Jones building on the William and Mary campus on the afternoon of 3/6/2025. This interview was conducted for research purposes by the Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Molly Robinson and Tijuana Reeve.
This description is taken from the headnote for the oral history.
In this interview, Zach Meredith discusses how his experience as a student at William and Mary shaped his understanding of community and belonging. He discusses how he was drawn to W&M for its intellectual community, and subsequently found his community through the American Studies department and the Williamsburg Documentary Project course. Further, Zach details how the WDP exposed him to new ways of approaching history through archive work and understanding of his positionality. He recounts how his research on the Triangle Block during the WDP developed into his senior thesis project, "Urban Renewal in the Colonial Capital: Contextualizing the Williamsburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority"(2019). Now teaching at the same high school in Durham, North Carolina that he attended as a student, Zach hopes to develop a Durham History elective, incorporating aspects from the WDP. This interview was conducted by undergraduate students Sarah Kinlaw and Leah Schrum and was indexed by Caroline Cromwell. The interview took place in the Samuel E. Jones building on the William and Mary campus and on Zoom on the afternoon of 3/4/2025. This interview was conducted for research purposes by the Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Molly Robinson and Tijuana Reeve.