Bray School: America’s oldest surviving schoolhouse for black children

Colonial Williamsburg is nearing completion with the restoration of the Williamsburg Bray Schoolthe oldest existing school building for black children in America.

Founded in 1760 by the Employees of Dr. Braya British Anglican charity, the school was founded to teach enslaved and free black children to read, albeit through a curriculum that promoted religious submission to slavery. But for the hundreds of students who entered, literacy opened up possibilities far beyond their assigned roles.

The school’s dedication on November 1 marked a milestone in the project’s painstaking restoration efforts, with public tours set to begin this spring. Located on the grounds of Colonial Williamsburg in collaboration with William & Mary’s Bray School Labthe Williamsburg Bray School is a testament to the oppression and resilience woven into early American history.

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, who served as keynote speaker, emphasized the importance of the structure, saying it has “extraordinary potential” to demonstrate how the dreams of a few people can shape the values ​​of many people have helped shape.

Dendrochronology – a method of dating wood by its annual rings – helped identify the schoolhouse in 2020, confirming that it was built in the winter of 1759 or the spring of 1760. The Colonial Williamsburg team, led by architectural preservation director Matt Webster, has now identified the 89th original structure in the Williamsburg Historic Area.

More than 80 former students, now identified through Colonial Williamsburg research, attended the Bray School in the 1760s. Among them was Isaac Bee, who later emancipated himself. His slaver placed advertisements in the Virginia Gazette warning that Bee “can read.”

Aberdeen, Bristol and Phoebe – ages 5, 7 and 3 – were among students taught by Ann Wager, the school’s only teacher, who taught more than 300 black children about reading, Christianity and obedience.

Despite the pro-slavery curriculum, many students quietly resisted by sharing their literacy with others in their community.

“It’s a story of resilience and resistance,” Maureen Elgersman Lee, director of the Bray School Lab, told The Associated Press. “The teachings of the Bray School may have been rooted in pro-slavery ideology, but education had a way of empowering these children.”

Lee and her team continue to research descendants, with several students tracing their ancestry to black households such as the Jones and Ashby families.

Janice Canaday, a descendant of former students Elisha and Mary Jones, is now Colonial Williamsburg’s African-American community engagement manager. Reflecting on her legacy, Canaday said, “Knowing what your family has been through – that’s where your strength lies.”

The Bray School was an exception at a time when most colonies banned the education of black people. Although Virginia imposed anti-literacy laws later in the 19th century, Colonial Williamsburg has uncovered evidence indicating that Bray students went on to influence their communities. Jody Allen, director of the Lemon Project, noted that the students were likely teaching siblings and others what they were learning, making literacy an act of resistance.

Since its rediscovery, the Bray School has undergone extensive preservation efforts overseen by Colonial Williamsburg. The team restored historically accurate timber sills and brickwork, retaining almost 75% of the original structure. Officials said the preserved building will anchor research at the intersections of race, religion and education, shedding light on a part of America’s past that is often overlooked.

“This is an incredibly important opportunity to understand both the Bray School and Williamsburg in the 18th century,” said Webster.

The school, originally recommended by Benjamin Franklin as a location for black education, also highlights the lives of early black educators in Virginia. William & Mary Professor Emeritus Terry Meyers said the Bray School likely nurtured Virginia’s first black teachers.

Colonial Williamsburg President Cliff Fleet also emphasized the educational significance of the school’s story. William & Mary President Katherine Rowe noted that the restored building will serve as a “living testament to the resilience and strength of the Black students who defied their roles to embrace literacy.”

Research will continue as scholars, descendants and visitors explore the historical role of the Bray School. Researchers hope to move the building to the historic Colonial Williamsburg area, preserving the space where generations of Black children gained the knowledge that helped shape their futures.

“This project honors not only the children who learned here, but also their courage to transcend the limitations placed on them,” Bunch said, “a resilience that lives on in our nation’s story.”