There is an old African proverb that says, “When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground.” This proverb describes how I felt when I learned that a local historian and author, Col. Lafayette Jones Jr., had passed away recently.
For those who did not have the pleasure of knowing him, Jones had a heart for local history. He served on the James City County Historical Commission for many years. When he heard that the county was planning to develop his family’s ancestral land, he intervened. He advocated for Freedom Park, home of one of the oldest free Black settlements in America, to tell his ancestors’ story by recreating cabins and building an interpretive center for artifacts.
I met Col. Jones for the first time on Feb. 22, 2020, at Freedom Park’s Interpretive Center when Coming to the Table-Historic Triangle and the James City County Parks and Recreation Department partnered on a Black History Month program. Jones spoke about his book, “My Great, Great, Grandfather’s Journey to an Island of Freedom in the Middle of Slavery,” while Coming to the Table leader Bill Sizemore discussed his book, “Uncle George and Me: Two Southern Families Confront a Shared Legacy of Slavery.”
Jones was a walking encyclopedia about his family history, which he traced back to the 17th century when his ancestors came over from England as indentured servants. He shared stories that his great-grandfather and father passed down about Bacon’s Rebellion, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. His face lit up when he shared maps and photographs that chronicled the complex history of Freedom Park.
I crossed paths with Jones again in 2022 while I was serving on Williamsburg’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee. One thing he taught me was the importance of reclaiming history to tell the stories of how African Americans lived, worked and were educated in the Historic Triangle.
As the founder of Coming to the Table-Historic Triangle, the local chapter of a national racial reconciliation organization, his thoughts resonated with me. You see, it’s through telling the stories of our family histories — even the painful ones — that we begin to heal from racial wounds of the past. This benefits the community by helping to make reconciliation possible and by restoring community trust.
Fortunately, there is a national movement to reclaim history by preserving stories of people, places and buildings, especially those that serve as monuments to the struggles of African Americans. Many of the buildings no longer exist, so when you find one intact, it’s a newsworthy event.
Last month, a local reclamation project that Jones had family ties to garnered national media attention. The Bray School, one of the oldest schools in the United States for free and enslaved Black children, was featured on the “Today” show. The Bray School operated in Williamsburg from 1760-74. The discovery of the building on the grounds of William & Mary was confirmed in 2020. In 2023, it was moved to Colonial Williamsburg, where it is being restored and slated to open this fall, the 250th anniversary of its closing. Jones was a member of the Bray School’s descendant community.
Another historical building that Jones was linked to is the Amblers House, a 19th century antebellum home. In 2015, while Jones was serving on James City County’s Historical Commission, the Amblers House was recognized as a Virginia and National Landmark. In 2022, Coming to the Table-Historic Triangle organized a community forum on the lawn of the Amblers House. Leaders from the Bray School, the Lemon Project, Village Initiative for Equity in Education, the Let Freedom Ring Foundation, Colonial National Historical Park and the Virginia Center for Restorative Justice gathered to share their commitment to uncovering forgotten history.
While it saddens me that Jones is gone, I am comforted by knowing that his rich legacy of reclaiming history still lives on.
When we come together to build a more truthful and inclusive community, we all win!
Laura D. Hill is the executive director of the Virginia Racial Healing Institute, which manages Coming to the Table-Historic Triangle. Learn more about her work at varacialhealinginstitute.org.
