Judy Project: African American History at Richmond Hill research papers, 2019-2022

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Summary

Extent:
2.7 cubic feet (6 boxes) and 1 website
Creator:
Pam Smith
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:

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.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Pam Smith, Falls Church, Virginia.
Arrangement:

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: Articles
Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
.