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Library of Virginia
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Processed by: Trenton Hizer
Collection is open to research.
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The Judy Project: African American History at Richmond Hill research papers, September 2019-November 2022. Accession 54022. Organization records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Gift of Pam Smith, Falls Church, Virginia.
The Richard Adams House was constructed about 1790 by Richard Adams (d. 1802) on property purchased from the John Coles family. The property was inherited by his son, Richard Adams, Jr. (1760-1817), and later by Richard Adams, III, who sold it to Loftin N. Ellett in 1825. Ellett died in 1865 and his executors sold the house in 1866 to Bishop John McGill of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond. The Adams-Taylor House was built in 1812 for James Smith on property owned by Richard Adams, Jr. When Smith died in 1817, the house was purchased by Jacob Galt Ege. The house was sold by court order in 1833 to William Palmer (1801-1870). Palmer sold the house to William Taylor in 1859, and Taylor enlarged the house that year. Taylor then sold the house to Richard A. Wilkins in 1860. The Richmond Diocese purchased the house from Wilkins in 1866 and requested that the Sisters of the Visitation establish a monastery and girls' school known as Monte Maria at the Richard Adams House. The Adams-Taylor House became part of the campus in 1880. Later construction on campus included the demolition of the Richard Adams House about 1929. By the 1980s, the Sisters of the Visitation planned to relocate to Hanover County, Virginia. An ecumenical group called Richmond Hill purchased the property in 1987 and operates the site as an urban retreat center.
The Judy Project: African American History at Richmond Hill research papers, September 2019-November 2022, contains research materials gathered by Pam Smith, resident historian at Richmond Hill, to document the lives and dwelling of enslaved persons at the Richard Adams House and the Adams-Taylor House properties in Richmond, Virginia, now known as Richmond Hill. Papers include articles, birth records, census records and slave schedules, death records, deeds, insurance policies, marriage records, personal correspondence, poems, reports, wills, and related Richmond Hill programming and exhibit materials, as well as the website.
This collection is arranged
Series I: Introduction Series II: Dwelling Series III: Richmond Hill--Reports Series IV: Neighborhood reports Series V: Coles-Adams Series VI: Ellett Series VII: Ege-Palmer-Taylor Series VIII: Wilkins-Judy and her enslavers Series IX: Sister Mildred Dolbear Series X: Descendants-Bijan Bayne Series XI: Descendants Series XII: Research Assistance Series XIII: Davenport Series XIV: General Series XV: ArticlesIntroduction contains information on the Judy Project exhibition, including information on owners of the property at what is now Richmond Hill; slavery and enslaved persons at Richmond Hill; and information on the dwellings located at Richmond Hill.
Dwelling contains information on the archaeological, architectural, and historical research documenting the dwelling of enslaved persons at Richmond Hill, including emails, insurance policies, itineraries, maps, photographs, reports, surveys, and other documents.
Richmond Hill--Reports contains archaeological and architectural assessments of the dwelling of enslaved persons at Richmond Hill.
Neighborhood Reports contains articles, letters, maps, reports, wills, and other documents concerning the history of Richmond, Virginia, including significant African American sites.
Coles-Adams contains records regarding members of the Coles and Adams families that owned the properties and were enslavers. Also includes records of enslaved persons at the Coles and Adams properties.
Ellett contains records regarding members of the Loftin N. Ellett family that purchased the Richard Adams House and were enslavers. Also includes records of persons enslaved by Ellett. Records also contain information of African American families with the last name of Ellett.
Ege-Palmer-Taylor contains records regarding members of the Ege, Palmer, and Taylor families that purchased what became known as the Adams-Taylor House and were enslavers. Also includes records of persons enslaved by the Ege, Palmer, and Taylor families. Records also contain information of African American families with the last name of Palmer.
Wilkins--Judy and her enslavers contains records regarding members of the Wilkins family that purchased what became known as the Adams-Taylor House and were enslavers. Also includes records of persons enslaved by the Wilkins family, including Judy, for whom the Judy Project is named. Records also contain information of African American families with the last name of Wilkins.
Sister Mildred Dolbear contains biographical and genealogical information on Sister Mildred Dolbear, a nun at Monte Maria, the predecessor institution to Richmond Hill. Includes information on racial identity in Catholic organizations and interracial familial relationships.
Descendants-Bijan Bayne contains information on the Avent, Shaw, and Wilkins families that descended from enslaved persons enslaved by the Wilkins family highlighting the ancestry of Bijan Bayne. Papers include census records and slave schedules, city directory entries, emails, genealogical records, marriage records, notes, and photographs.
Descendants contains articles, notes, and educational rubrics regarding descendants of enslaved persons and reparations, as well as census records, death records, emails, genealogical records, notes, and wills on the Adams, Brown, Early, Holmes, and Peoples families. Includes an open letter to the director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts regarding the site where the Robert E. Lee Monument stood expressing concerns over the site's future.
Research Assistance contains articles, census records and slave schedules, genealogical records, marriage records, and other documents providing information on John Holt Rice, as well as the Anderson, Blunk, Finchum, Morton, Rice, and Taylor families.
Davenport includes articles, biographies, census records, death records, genealogies, and other records concerning Isaac Davenport, Jr., and family members, as well as information on Davenport and Company. Records concern Davenport's personal and business involvement with slavery.
General contains articles, brochures, correspondence, emails, poems, presentations, programs, songs, and other documents regarding Richmond Hill, Shockoe Bottom, education, enslaved persons, racism and antiracism, reparations, religion and spirituality, and other topics.
Articles consists of articles regarding slavery and enslaved persons, African American cemeteries, archaeology, racism, Reconstruction, and the Adams family of Richmond, Virginia.