Unearthed Cellar at Oldest Black Schoolhouse Reveals Artifacts and Complex History

Archaeologists at William & Mary University in Virginia have uncovered a remarkable piece of history beneath the nation’s oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children, the Williamsburg Bray School. The excavation revealed a near-complete foundation, including a chimney base and a cellar, shedding light on a complex past. Established in the 1760s, the Bray School primarily educated enslaved children, weaving religious teachings with the grim justification of slavery—a stark reminder of the era’s contradictions.

The site later served as a dormitory for some of the first women to attend college, marking its evolution through time. Artifacts, including 18th-century buttons and a slate pencil, were found, though their direct ties to the school remain under investigation. As William & Mary’s president, Katherine Rowe, noted, "Every layer of history it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic." The unlined cellar, likely dug soon after the foundation was laid, hints at the site’s early construction, according to Tom Higgins of the university’s Center for Archaeological Research.

Discovered in 2020 by historians, the structure is now being meticulously restored by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. This find not only unearths physical remnants but also prompts reflection on the intertwined roots of education, race, and resilience in America’s story.