331 The Discovery of the Williamsburg Bray School

In a town as old as Williamsburg, Virginia, which was established in 1638, it’s often the case that historic buildings with interesting pasts stand unnoticed and in plain sight.

Such was the case for the building that once housed Williamsburg’s Bray School. A school founded by a group of Anglican clergymen with the express purpose of educating Black children in the ways of the Anglican faith. It was an education that included reading, possibly writing, and the Book of Common Prayer.

In honor of Juneteenth, we explore the exciting rediscovery of Williamsburg’s Bray School with three scholars: Maureen Elgersman Lee, Director of the Bray School Lab at William & Mary; Ronald Hurst, Vice President of Museums, Preservation, and Historic Resources at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and Nicole Brown, a historic interpreter, American Studies graduate student, and the graduate student assistant at William & Mary’s Bray School Lab.

Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/331


Join Ben Franklin's World!

• Subscribe and help us bring history right to your ears!

Sponsor Links

• Omohundro Institute
• Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
• The Ben Franklin's World Shop

Complementary Episodes

• Episode 025: Jessica Parr, Inventing George Whitefield
• Episode 073: Mark Noll, The Bible in Early America
• Episode 133: Patrick Breen, The Nat Turner Revolt 
• Episode 311: Katherine Carté, Religion and the American Revolution
• Episode 320: Ben Franklin’s London House

 

Listen!

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Google Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Ben Franklin's World iOS App
• Ben Franklin's World Android App

Helpful Links

• Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group
• Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast
• Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page
• Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter