Sarah Whitby was an African American woman whose family lived in Rock Creek Park between 1870 and 1900. Excavations of her house's cellar and documentary research opened a window into Washington's African American past.
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Rock Creek Park
Article 1: African American Families in Rock Creek Park around Broad Branch
Excavations of the Whitby house cellar, and documentary research done as part of the same project, have opened a window into Washington's African-American past. Read more
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Rock Creek Park
Article 2: The Sarah Whitby Site
Among the many African American families that moved to Washington were the Whitbys. In 1895 the Whitbys rented a house on a small parcel of land that had belonged to Isaac Shoemaker. Learn what archeology contributes to our knowledge about their lives. Read more
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Rock Creek Park
Article 3: The Jane Dickson and Charles Dickson Sites
Charles Dickson and Jane Dickson were the only two African American property owners to sell their land to Rock Creek Park. The remains at these sites bring focus to interrelated African American enclaves. Most of these communities are poorly represented in the archeological record. Read more
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Rock Creek Park
Article 4: Other Black Communities in Rock Creek Park
Investigations at the Whitby and Dickson sites shows the permanence of African American settlement at Broad Branch. Yet these three home sites are only part of a larger picture. The efforts of Black migrants to own land and to live in self-sustaining communities transformed DC’s landscape in the 1800s. Communities today have roots in the past. Read more