Ancient Foundation of a 1700s School for Black Children Discovered in Virginia

Archaeologists in Virginia have uncovered the nearly intact foundation of a building dating back to the 1700s, which once supported the country’s oldest existing schoolhouse for Black children. The site also revealed a cellar filled with historical artifacts, including slate pencil fragments and jewelry.

The site is associated with the Williamsburg Bray School, built in the 1760s, which primarily educated enslaved children and operated within a religious framework that justified slavery. Despite this, literacy provided many students with increased agency, as they shared their knowledge with family members. Over time, the schoolhouse was expanded for other uses, including student housing, and was eventually incorporated into William & Mary’s campus after being moved from its original location.

In 2020, scientific methods analyzing tree rings confirmed the structure’s identity, leading to its restoration by the university’s partner, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The foundation is also working to trace the descendants of the students who attended the school.

During ongoing excavations at Gates Hall, part of a major renovation project, archaeologists uncovered the foundation and cellar of another historical building. The cellar, likely dug soon after the foundation was laid and not lined with bricks, contained artifacts such as handmade ceramics linked to Indigenous and enslaved communities, along with clothing buttons and pottery shards. These findings illuminate the site’s complex history across different periods.