Williamsburg Black history: Juneteenth church groundbreaking, school opens

On Juneteenth, two significant sites in Williamsburg’s Black history advanced. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Nassau Street for the rebuilding of the African Baptist Meeting House, one of the nation’s oldest Black churches, founded by enslaved and free Black people in the late 1700s. The reconstruction of the original 16-by-32-foot meeting house is planned to open to the public in 2026, marking the church’s 250th anniversary. The project follows archaeological excavations that uncovered artifacts and burial shafts at the site, which had previously been covered by a parking lot. Speakers at the event emphasized the historical significance and the importance of telling the story.

Following the groundbreaking, a ribbon-cutting marked the public opening of the Bray School, one of the oldest surviving schools for Black children, located nearby on Nassau Street. The school, which taught children from 1760 to 1774, was rediscovered, moved in 2023, and restored by Colonial Williamsburg to appear as it did in the 18th century. Recent archaeological work at the school’s original site on the William & Mary campus uncovered the full foundation, cellar location, and 18th-century artifacts. The restored interior now features furniture and items mimicking the school environment, though the second floor remains closed to visitors due to the fragility of the original stairs. Officials from Colonial Williamsburg and William & Mary highlighted the school’s importance in illuminating the city’s history.