Since 2022, I’ve been collaborating with Wellspring, a social services organization in Gloucester, Massachusetts to uncover the history of the Freeman family, who once owned the historic home where their offices are located today.
Lots of lore has surrounded the house and its ownership, from stories of the house once being owned by a self-emancipated, formerly enslaved man named Bob from South Carolina to the house being a gift from an enslaver to a man he formerly enslaved.
Our research has revealed that the first Freeman to own the home was Robert Freeman, Sr., a Black man who owned substantial amounts of land in Gloucester in the early 19th century. Robert Sr. was born to a self-emancipated man named Robin Freeman, who was enslaved in a nearby home. We’ve learned about generations of the Freeman family of Gloucester and have shared our findings with their living descendants today. We’ve also created a permanent exhibit in the house that tells the Freeman family’s story and honors their legacy in the city.
Our work was featured on the Boston news magazine show Chronicle. Check it out!