Witness Stones Project Inc.

Restore History, Educate, and Honor Humanity

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Greenwich Historical Society Hosts Witness Stones Project

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On May 27, 2021, the Greenwich Historical Society welcomed students from Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart Greenwich.  The students shared their work uncovering the lives of Cull Bush, Patience, Candice , and Hester Mead and laid Witness Stones in their memory.

 

Greenwich Honors Legacy of Those Who Were Enslaved

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Memorial Stones honoring four enslaved people who lived in Greenwich were placed at the Historical Society during a ceremony on Thursday. (Richard Kaufman photo)

 

By Richard Kaufman on Patch.com on May 27, 2021

GREENWICH, CT — It was an emotional day on Thursday at the Greenwich Historical Society, as the community came together to honor the legacy of those who were enslaved in Greenwich in the 18th and 19th centuries.

According to research from the Historical Society, approximately 300 enslaved people resided in Greenwich. Thursday’s ceremony honored four individuals — Cull Bush and his partner Patience, and Candice Bush and her daughter Hester Mead — who all lived and worked for David Bush and family at the Bush-Holley House. Altogether, about 15 enslaved people worked at the house. Continue reading.

 

Historical Society to Celebrate the Humanity of Greenwich’s Enslaved Individuals at Ceremony on May 27

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By Laura McCormick on HamletHub.com on May 11, 2021

Greenwich Historical Society will host a ceremony on May 27th at 1 pm to honor the legacy of enslaved persons who resided in Greenwich.

Open to the public, the event will take place on the Historical Society campus in Cos Cob to include town officials, civic leaders, clergy as well as teachers and students from Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart Greenwich who were instrumental in researching the lives of the enslaved individuals. Enslaved persons will be honored with a “Witness Stones Memorial” engraved with their name, known birth and death dates and primary occupations, and placed on the grounds near Bush-Holley House where they resided. A reception with light snacks will follow. Continue reading.

Witness Stones Placement Ceremony

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Hester Mead (1807–1864) The Jabez Mead House, ca. 1840. Watercolor on paper. 21.5 x 25.5 inches.
Greenwich Historical Society, Museum Purchase, 2006.02
This unsigned watercolor painting of the Jabez Mead House is believed to have been painted by Hester Mead, the daughter of Candice Bush, two of fifteen black individuals enslaved by the Bush family.

From the Greenwich Historical Society on May 10, 2021

This spring marks the culmination of our first collaboration with the Witness Stones Project, in conjunction with local schools and the local community.

Through research, education, and civic engagement, the Witness Stones Project, Inc., seeks to restore the history and to honor the humanity and contributions of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities. Continue reading

Grace and Hope Teachers’ Talk

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What messages does our society send to students at different ends of the socio-economic spectrum? What joys and challenges do teachers face as they try to meet the complex needs of today’s students? 

This panel discussion, hosted by Christ Church Greenwich, includes Kelly Bridges, a middle school history teacher at Sacred Heart Greenwich who shares details of Witness Stones project in the classroom. Also on the panel are Ann Neary, who taught at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx for 11 years and is now at Staples High School in Westport; Sheldon Ayers, Greenwich High School Social Studies teacher for 15 years; and Debbie Smith, Greenwich High School English teacher and longtime Christ Church member.

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