Scar of the restored earthworks over Slabtown

The restored earthworks left a literal scar on the landscape. This picture was taken in 1980/1981, only a few years after the last resident left Slabtown. Note the Masonic cemetery at right and Union road running across the top of the photo. (Colonial National Historical Park)

1881 Map of Yorktown showing Slabtown

1881 Map of Yorktown (left), showing Slabtown (center). Note that both Yorktown and Slabtown were similar in size and had a comparable number of dwellings at this time. (Colonial National Historical Park)

1920s Aerial photograph of Slabtown

1920s aerial photograph of Slabtown. Note the presence of the original Slabtown grid, the battlefeld golf course at the top of the photograph, and the numerous farms in Slabtown. (Colonial National Historical Park Archives)

Slabtown's York Star Masonic Lodge prior to demoliton

Slabtown’s York Star Masonic Lodge during an appraisal in 1960. (Colonial National Historical Park Archives) .

Slabtown residents faced discrimination during property appriasals

A letter from Superintendent James W. Corson regarding a meeting with the white Masonic Lodge in Yorktown reveals that white residents used the threat of sale to black residents as a means to pressure the government into giving them better offers (Colonial National Historical Park Archives)

Aerial view of Slabtown

An undated aerial photograph of the Braxton and Marshall Houses along Marl Pit Road in Slabtown. Note the linear lines of trees that divide adjacent lots. These trees, as well as the roads, are extant. (Colonial National Historical Park Archives)

slabtown

“Where Shall We go?”: Race, Displacement, and Preservation at Slabtown and Yorktown Battlefield, Virginia

Master’s Thesis 2019

Yorktown, VA

Full version available here:

Slabtown was a community descended from escaped slaves and freedpersons that existed until the 1970s when it was intentionally demolished by the National Park Service. Credited with “winning America’s Independence” as the location of the final battle of the American Revolution, Yorktown Battlefield does not tell the full story of its cultural landscape. Following Colonial National Park’s creation in 1930, National Park Service staff began actively acquiring the land within Slabtown for restoration. By the 1970s this “editing” removed any discussion of Slabtown’s existence or its legacy. This study examines the many narratives of Slabtown and its demolition for a cleaner and clearer interpretation of Yorktown Battlefield’s Revolutionary and Civil War heritage. It tells the story of Slabtown’s creation and destruction; the lives of its residents, their displacement, and dispossession; and ultimately, highlights the state of National Park Service preservation of Slabtown with a series of recommendations.