History of the Jefferson County Black History Preservation Society, Inc.
It has been often stated that there was a depth of rich Black history in Jefferson County, but as far as anyone knew, this information had never been compiled and shared with any of the population.
In the year 2000, after years of discussing the need to document Jefferson County Black history and realizing that there was very little which had been recorded, four African-American men made the decision to take some action. James L. Taylor, Nathaniel F. Downing, Sr., George C. Rutherford and James A. Tolbert, Sr., all life-long residents of Jefferson County, met and agreed that they would combine all of the information available in their private collections and begin aggressively to collect other information, develop exhibits and publish their findings. They felt an urgency and decided to forego monthly meetings and hold weekly sessions. Weekly meetings have continued since September 2000.
The Society also applied and was granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service and was incorporated by the State of West Virginia. This allowed the group to accept tax-deductible donations from contributors.
One of the Society’s first observations was the total absence of any Black history in the Jefferson County Museum in Charles Town. Following much discussion, there was agreement to donate a (picture) of Martin R. Delany to the museum and officials welcomed the gift. Delany, born in Charles Town in 1812, met with Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and then President Abraham Lincoln. Delany was then commissioned a Major in the Union Army by Secretary Stanton and was thus the highest ranked Black field officer in the Civil War. Along with that distinction, he later became known as the “first Black Nationalist”, became a physician and later co-edited the North Star newspaper along with Frederick Douglas.
It was also obvious that there was much history, but unwritten, surrounding the Blacks who joined John Brown and the 1859 raid on the Federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry. There were five Blacks who joined Brown and who played major roles in the raid, but these had not been the focus of many historians. The Blacks were John Copeland, Shields Green, Osbourne Anderson, Lewis Leary and Dangerfield Newby. The Society embarked on researching and publishing their roles and, as of this date, all have been completed with the exception of Anderson. The Osborne Anderson ancestors have researched and documented his life and role with John Brown.
Another major milestone was reached when the Society decided on acquiring a property which had its own unique Black history. Looking towards the future, it was felt that there would have to be a site devoted to research and exhibiting Jefferson County Black history. In 2003, the family of John Blessing sold to the Society their ancestoral property on East North Street, which had two family homes. The smaller stone structure was erected 1829-1830 by a free Black named Francis Webb. The larger two-story structure was owned by John Blessing who happened to have prepared meals for abolitionist John Brown while he was in the Jefferson County jail awaiting trial for his lead role in the raid on the Federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Both structures are now joined by a covered hallway. The last Charles Town John Blessing descendent, Ms. Ollie Blessing, operated a kindergarten in the home for many years. The Society asked the community for monetary donations to purchase the property and there were several contributors. Major contributors included philanthropist Vincent Groh of Hagerstown and the Charles Town Moose Club and the property was acquired. Plans are being developed now for a Grand Opening of the structures in the spring of 2014.
The Society has been recognized by the Eastern Panhandle Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta with its coveted “Arts and Letters Award” for its commitment to Black History. In February 2010, the West Virginia Senate adopted Senate Resolution 29 recognizing the accomplishments of the Society. The Resolution was signed by then Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin.
The Society also requested the Jefferson County Board of Education to rename the Opportunity Learning Center to the Martin R. Delany Opportunity Learning Center which was completed in a ceremony in May 2012. The Charles Town City Council also sub-named South Lawrence Street to Martin R. Delany Place at the request of the Society. In addition, at the Society’s request, the Jefferson County Board of Education named the former Page-Jackson High School athletic field the “Ernest M. Dandridge Sports Field”. Mr Dandridge was the last principal of the all-Black high school before the school closed in 1965 to comply with the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court desegregation decision.
Documentation of Jefferson County Black history has been a major part of the Society’s mission. A listing of the publications is attached. In 2009, Arcadia Publications printed “African-Americans of Jefferson County”, a pictural history of Black citizens in Jefferson County.. U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd wrote the foreword.
The Society has assembled several exhibits including: Black Education, The Old Charles Town Colored Horseshow, Jefferson County Black Churches, the Green-Copeland American Legion Post #63, Page-Jackson High School Drill Corp Cadets, Martin R. Delany, First Black Nationist, Military Veterans who served in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I and II, WWI and WW II draftees’ group pictures, a WW I soldier combat helmet, and a WW II Civil Defense Helmet.
The Society would like to express its sincere gratitude to Dr. Wallace Boston and the American Public University System, the Jefferson County Board of Education, the Jefferson County Commission, the Charles Town City Council, WV Senators Herb Snyder, John Unger, House of Delegates Tiffany Lawrence, Stephen Skinner, Paul Espinosa and former Delegates John Doyle and Robert Tabb for their support and encouragement. In addition, the Jefferson County Branch of the NAACP, Star Lodge #1, Free and Accepted Masons, the Page-Jackson Alumni Association, Inc., Marshall-Mason-Holly American Legion Post #102, and the African-American Community Association of Jefferson County(Fishermen Hall) have given the Society their full support. Jefferson County Black History Preservation Society Publications
“Black History Tour Guide of Charles Town, WV” Brochure “Charles Town Black Schools” Poster “Jefferson County Black Schools” Poster “The Capture, Trial and Execution of Shields Green and John Copeland” “A Collection of Black History News Articles and Events in Jefferson County, WV” “The Black Book” Jefferson County, WV Directory of African-American Facts “The Life and Death of Dangerfield Newby” “Jefferson County, WV African-American Heritage Trail “ Map “African-Americans of Jefferson County” Images of America
Website: www.jcblackhistory.org