• HISTORY OF GRACE

  • HISTORY OF GRACE

Land Acknowledgment

The people of Grace Episcopal Church respectfully acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Nacotchtank and Piscataway nations. We honor all Indigenous individuals and communities who made—and make—their home here.

People Enslaved by Early Parishioners of Grace Church

We have identified over 60 men, women, and children who were enslaved by Grace’s land donor, first vestry, and early parishioners. We invite you to read the names of these individuals who suffered under the institution of chattel slavery and honor their lives.

Revisiting Our History

The Grace Church community of today takes pride in our diversity and inclusivity. But is this view of who we are now – and have been in the past — a full picture?

Grace’s ties to the Confederacy have been documented in existing histories, but facts have been interspersed with mythology, much of which glorifies the Lost Cause and ignores the contributions of African-Americans to the early church. Even the date of our founding has been questioned: is it 1857, as some narratives claim, or is it 1864, as documented by the Diocese of Maryland?

As our Parish History of Race and Racism Team has been working to uncover details about our founders and their ties to slavery, we recognize that the land and resources we enjoy today come from that legacy of discrimination. We seek to learn about our past to plan actions of repentance and restorative justice in our community.

Telling Our Stories

In December 2022, we shared the first story in our exploration of our history:
• Story: Thomas Noble Wilson and the Origins of Grace Church
• Presentation: Reconsidering Our History with Race: The Origin of Our Land

Presentation: Reconsidering Our History with Race: Grace During the Civil War

Story: Grace Church During the Civil War

LIST OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE

These men, women, and children suffered under the institution of chattel slavery. We invite you to read the names of the individuals enslaved by Grace’s land donor and first vestry and honor their lives.

Lloyd Beckett
Alice Brown
Bazil Brown
Margaret Brown
Samuel Brown
Frank Brown
Maria Brown
Joseph Brown
Eliza Brown
James Brown

William Brown
Mary Brown
Charles Brown
Robert Brown
Lucy Clark
Henry Coquire
David Diggs
James Gantt
Jasper Poole (Detton)
Richard Proctor

Sarah Simms
Maria Simms
James Simms
Hanson Smith
Lucy Whitacre
Moses Whitacre (Whitecan)
Samuel Williams
Unnamed man, age 63
Unnamed man, age 60
Unnamed woman, age 33

Unnamed woman, age 33
Unnamed man, age 31
Unnamed man, age 26
Unnamed woman, age 24
Unnamed woman, age 18
Unnamed boy, age 17
Unnamed girl, age 6
Unnamed boy, age 6
Unnamed boy, age 31/2
Unnamed girl, age 21/2

The names above may not have been chosen by the individuals and their families, but assigned to them
by their enslavers. At this time, these given names are what we have available to identify and
acknowledge these men, women, and children’s’ existences.

The Parish History of Race and Racism Team will continue to research our entanglements with slavery
and update this list as we learn more.