Bridging the Centuries: Legacy of Slavery, Segregation, and Community Heritage at Booker T. Washington National Monument (BOWA)

In partnership with the National Park Service, The Ottery Group is completing a two-year study at Booker T. Washington National Monument (BOWA) in Hardy, Virginia.

The investigation consisted of three components related to the life and legacy of Booker T. Washington and the evolving context of race in American society: 1) to evaluate likely locations for houses or quarters associated with the enslaved (Year 1) and activities associated with post-emancipation landscape and operation of the Colored school (Year 2), 2) to conduct archeological field survey of these identified areas, and 3) to facilitate community outreach and host workshops to foster public discussion about the histories of enslavement and segregation represented in the resources at the park.

The project was broadly designed to assist the NPS with obligations under Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), specifically to ensure that historic preservation is fully integrated into interpretive programs.