This story on the op-ed page of today’s newspaper gives me an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be a historian. Historians are in the business of understanding and interpreting the past. Just like scholars in other fields, historians first develop a hypothesis about a series of events that occurred in the past. Then they analyze facts to assess whether they support their hypothesis. If the hypothesis withstands this scrutiny, the historian moves on to test the hypothesis against other facts. If the facts work against the hypothesis, however, the historian reexamines and perhaps revises the hypothesis. Just as science and medicine, for example, are constantly evolving in the face of new facts, history is also evolving.
The Bray school (featured in this column) provides a current example of this process. Here’s the text of the column:
This is a 250-year-old story. It is full of surprises and a meaningful message.
“The Bray School story is American history,” said Tonia Merideth, an oral historian with a master’s degree in history.
In an interview with the Gazette, she noted, “The restoration of the Bray School comes at a time when certain elements of our history are being erased. How can we stop talking about certain elements of our history when there’s still so much more to be found?”
Like, for example, that Merideth is a descendant of a student at the Bray School.
“Genealogical research indicates that I come through a collateral descendant line – not a direct descendant line, although [it] remains a possibility as more research is being done,” Merideth said. “I am a descendant from the family of enslavers who sent children to Bray School. Of of the students who attended Bray School, Locust, was sent by the Armistead family. I am a descendant of Armistead’s.”
Merideth continues her genealogical research to determine whether she is a direct descendant of a Bray scholar.
According to Merideth, had it not been for Terry Meyers, a chancellor professor of English, emeritus, at William & Mary discovering the building on campus, that history would have been lost.
This is the oldest extant school for the education specifically of enslaved and free Black children. It is the beginning of the legacy of Black education in America.
“Rober Carter Nicholas, a trustee and administrator of the Bray School, in correspondence to Dr. Bray’s associates in London, called the students scholars, so for the Black community broadly, it means knowing that their ancestors were likely among the first scholars in the new world,” Meridith said.
Authenticating that the building that was once the home of the Bray School – hiding in plain sight at the campus of William & Mary for 200 years – wasn’t an easy task. Dendrochronology, however, determined that the wood used to build the Bray School dates to 1759, The team at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation together with William& Mary determined it to be the original Bray School, and restoring it became important to both institutions.
The restored Bray School will open to the public as the 89th original building in Colonial Williamsburg in September 2024.
“The Bray School initiative is about restoring the building (and) the stories of the people who inhabited the building, “Merideth explained. “Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is supplying the expertise to restore the building through historical architecture, archeology, dendrochronology and other work. We are providing the expertise to restore histories, legacies and stories of students who studied there.”
I asked Merideth, what is the Bray School project’s goal?
“The W&M Bray School Lab uncovers, documents, preserves, and disseminates broadly the history and legacy of the Williamsburg Bray School.
“We also engage in outreach and educational efforts to members of the descendants’ community and the public, to help with doing the worl in the areas of genealogy research and oral history.”
Merideth, who is now a team member of the Bray School Lab in the Office of Strategic Cultural Partnership, first visited Williamsburg 10 years ago. She heard about the discovery of the old school building and visited the site at the campus. “I went up the building and touched it. I just felt a connection at that moment,” she said. “I realized my ancestors could have been there. I was called to do this job.”
This is what makes the study of history exciting. Historians are no more interested in researching and writing about established “facts” of history than scientists, medical researchers, or tech innovators are happy with simply regurgitating the current understandings in their field. They want to know more, which often means upsetting the prevailing understanding of the world. This is why they research. Historians are no different.
The general public is very happy with “revisionist” medicine, science, and technology. We should also be happy with “revisionist” history. When we know better, we should do better.
I was taught this lesson very early in my teaching career, when a very smart high school senior remarked in class, “I think there is a true historical past. We just don’t know what it is. Every time historians come up with a new “fact,” they add it to their understanding of the past, even though they don’t know whether the new fact is moving them closer to or away from the true historical past. Then they have to do more research to figure it all out.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
My hope is historians will write a page or two about the people who have come together to preserve the Bray School. Their brave efforts shine like bright lights at a very dark time in the history of our country.
I'm so proud of the College (do we have to change to "University"? I hope not!), of CW, and I guess i should add the Commonwealth for moving ahead and restoring this piece of history that has been hidden in pretty much plain sight for more than 250 years. In a time when some states are finding ways to deny our uncomfortable history, we need to be vigilant about uncovering and facing the bad and ugly, as well as the good, and to promise that we will learn from it and to never do it again.
As one who lived a year practically next door and who had no idea what I was missing, I have been fascinated by this look back into the past that we now have. Can hardly wait until Bray School is open to the public, so I can meet my old neighbor.