POWERFUL STORY TO THE NARRATIVE
OF THAT HISTORIC TOWN.
IT’S BEEN SAID THAT A CHURCH
ISN’T A BUILDING, IT’S A PEOPLE.
THESE PARISHIONERS OF THE FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH IN WILLIAMSBURG,
VIRGINIA, HAVE THE HISTORY OF
THE CONGREGATION IN THEIR BLOOD.
EACH ONE HAS ANCESTORS WHO
WORSHIPPED AS PART OF THIS
COMMUNITY.
HOW FAR BACK DOES YOUR FAMILY’S
HISTORY GO THERE?
>> TO THE 1800s.
NASSAU STREET.
MY GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS A
DEACON THERE.
>> Reporter: REVEREND JULIE
GRACE IS AN ASSISTANT PASTOR.
THE LOCATION OF THE CHURCH SHE
MENTIONED IS A VACANT LOT NOW.
HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU THINK YOU
PASSED THAT SITE WITHOUT KNOWING
WHAT WAS THERE?
>> OH, SO MANY TIMES.
YOU KNOW, I KNEW THAT THE PLAQUE
WAS THERE, BUT JUST NEVER GAVE
IT ANOTHER THOUGHT.
>> Reporter: WHAT’S THERE CAN’T
BE SEEN, NOT YET.
A TEAM OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS IS
DIGGING IN THE COLD GROUND TO
UNEARTH SOME HARD TRUTHS.
THEIR HOPE IS TO FIND NOT JUST
ONE BUT TWO CHURCH STRUCTURES.
THE CONGREGATION WAS FOUNDED IN
1776 BY SLAVES AND FREED BLACKS
WHO WORSHIPPED IN SECRET.
IN 1818, THE GROUP WAS GIVEN A
BUILDING BY A LOCAL SLAVE OWNER,
WHICH BECAME THEIR FIRST CHURCH.
IT WAS DESTROYED BY A TORNADO IN
1834.
IN 1856, A NEW BRICK CHURCH WAS
BUILT, WHICH STOOD FOR 100
YEARS, UNTIL COLONIAL
WILLIAMSBURG BOUGHT IT AND TORE
IT DOWN.
THE CONGREGATION BUILT A NEW
CHURCH NEARBY.
THAT NASSAU STREET LOCATION
REMAINED AN EMPTY LOT UNTIL NOW.
THE CHURCH HAS PARTNERED WITH
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG TO SEARCH
UNDERGROUND FOR THE EARLY
STRUCTURES AND MORE.
>> THIS AREA HERE WOULD HAVE
BEEN THE ALTAR.
THE AREA IN FRONT WOULD HAVE
BEEN THE FIRST PEW OF THE
CHURCH.
>> Reporter: JACK GARY IS THE
LEAD ARCHAEOLOGIST AT COLONIAL
WILLIAMSBURG.
THEY’VE ALREADY UNCOVERED THE
FOU DAGS
FOUNDATION OF THE 1856 CHURCH
AND HOPE TO FIND EVIDENCE OF THE
1818 CHURCH.
THEY HOPE TO FIND MORE, AT LEAST
ONE GRAVE.
>> IT IS JUST EMOTIONALLY
OVERWHELMING TO STAND ON THAT
SITE AND KNOW THAT THOSE BURIALS
ARE THERE.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHO THEY BELONG
TO, AND IF THERE ARE DESCENDENTS
STILL HERE THAT CAN RECONNECT
WITH THEIR PAST.
>> Reporter: CONNIE IS A CHURCH
MEMBER AND PRESIDENT OF THE LET
FREEDOM RING FOUNDATION, HELPING
STEER THIS PROJECT WITH COLONIAL
WILLIAMSBURG.
>> IT BECAME VERY CLEAR TO US
THAT THAT WAS A PRIORITY FOR THE
MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION AND
THE DESENCENDENTS OF THIS
COMMUNITY.
RIGHT AWAY, WE THOUGHT, LET’S
FOCUS ON THE AREA.
FIND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BURIED
THERE FIRST.
>> Reporter: YOU WON’T FIND THE
HISTORY OF THIS COMMUNITY IN ANY
BOOK, EXCEPT MAYBE THE GOOD
BOOK.
IT IS A CATALOG OF CEREMONIES
FROM ANOTHER TIME.
>> FAMILY RECORD OF A MARRIAGE
DATING BACK TO 1872.
ALEXANDER DUNLAP, 1877.
>> Reporter: THEY WERE ALL THERE
IN THAT CHURCH.
>> ALL THERE IN THE CHURCH, YES.
YES.
>> Reporter: THE HOPE NOW IS TO
FINISH THE EXCAVATION AND WORK
WITH COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG TO
RECREATE THOSE EARLY CHURCHES IN
SOME WAY.
IS A CHURCH AS OLD AS THE
REPUBLIC ITSELF, AND FOR SO
LONG, JUST DIDN’T KNOW THE
HISTORY OF IT.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> Reporter: HERE YOU ARE,
TRYING TO SHARE THAT HISTORY
WITH THE WORLD.
HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?
>> IT IS PRETTY EXCITING FOR ME,
WHEN I STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT.
I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT
WE’RE GOING TO LEAVE SOMETHING
HERE THAT I DIDN’T HAVE IN THE
SEVENTH GRADE.
WE’RE GOING TO LEAVE A STORY
THAT THOSE KIDS NOW WILL BE ABLE
TO SEE THE WHOLE STORY.
>> WOW.
>> YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME OF THE
REVOLUTIONARY WAR, HALF THE
POPULATION OF WILLIAMSBURG WAS
BLACK, YET, THAT PART OF THE
STORY HAD NOT BEEN REFLECTED AT
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG IN YEARS
PAST.
THINGS ARE CHANGING.
>> FANTASTIC.
WE SAW THE OLDER PARISHIONERS IN
YOUR STORY.
WHAT IS THE CHURCH DOING TO GET
YOUNGER PEOPLE INVOLVED?
IT IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE.
>> IT IS COOL.
THEY STARTED THESE EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS TO GET CHILDREN
ENGAGED, INCLUDEING DAYS SPENT A
THE EXCAVATION SITE, WORKING
WITH THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS.
THE BELL THEY USE AT THAT
CHURCH, YOU SAW IT IN THE PIECE,
THAT WAS THE SAME BELL USED WHEN
THEY OPENED THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
HISTORY MUSEUM FOUR YEARS AGO.
>> THAT’S NICE.