Photo of Jen Dobyns interpreting history for a young visitor during the Spring ReOpening: London Town at 50 event for Maryland Day Weekend. Thank you to the Bay Weekly Newspaper for a great feature article on behalf of London Town's 50th anniversary! Read it here.

On April 15, 1971, the first visitors to the London Town Publik House and Arboretum signed the original registry. They toured the c.1760 William Brown House, even as it was being restored to how it may have looked originally as a colonial tavern. Interestingly, two of the first visitors that day were Alma and Edward Larrimore. The William Brown House had become Anne Arundel County's Almshouse in the 1820s. The Larrimore family had been the last administrators of Almshouse when it closed in 1965. Since then, Anne Arundel County and the London Town Publik House Commission had begun the process of restoring the building and turning the site into a museum and public garden. The William Brown House had been designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service exactly one year before its first visitors on April 15, 1970. However, it wouldn't be until July 25, 1973 when the dedication ceremony would be held. The photo above shows Janet Chess, Acting Superintendent of Fort McHenry, giving the official National Historic Landmark certificate to Gladys Nelker, Chairwoman of the London Town Publik House Commission, and Joseph W. Alton Jr, County Executive of Anne Arundel County. Photo courtesy of M.E. Warren. His wife Mary Warren served on the London Town Publick House Commission. It was at the same ceremony when the South River dock was also dedicated, as shown in the photo below. John O. Crandall and company constructed the 175-foot long, all pile driven pier. At the same time as the Brown House underwent its restoration, the gardens had begun their transformation from overgrown land into a truly beautiful display. The County partnered with horticulturists from the University of Maryland. Professors R.L. Baker and C.N. Johnson, along with Dr. Tony Dove – London Town’s first horticulturalist – created a plan. The gardens were designed to showcase what could grow in the Chesapeake region. In the photo below from 1967, County Executive Alton appears again, alongside Hope Andrews and William A. Stallings. Together, they dedicated the first tree at London Town, which had been donated by the North Shore Garden Club. Notably, Dr. William Ackerman, who would test his cold-hardy camellias at London Town over a decade later, named one of his camellia hybrids 'Winter's Hope' in honor of Hope Andrews. This camellia continues to bloom in our gardens each fall and winter. There was considerable work to transform the gardens. Below is an undated photo from the early 1970s of Dove and others working to develop the Dell. Photo courtesy of M.E. Warren. They largely planted exotic, botanical specimen plants nestled in between open meadows and downstream ravines. The open meadows were modeled loosely after Royal Botanic Kew Gardens in England. Many of the original Conifer trees, Magnolias, Azaleas, and Rhododendrons continue to thrive from when they were initially planted. Below is from an early brochure for the site featuring a hand-drawn map of the entire campus. As we go into our 50th anniversary, we reflect on the important work undertaken by these founders, and how we continue to build on their effort today. Many of the early plantings remain crucial collections today. Currently, the William Brown House is undergoing the second phase of restoration work to upgrade its electricity and HVAC systems. Countless volunteers, staff, board, and supporters have made it possible to continue building upon the remarkable foundation created in the 1970s. This effort continues into the future, as witnessed in the site's Capital and Operations Improvement Plan. Learn more about our 50th anniversary at www.historiclondontown.org/50 and explore more of our Improvement Plan at www.historiclondontown.org/2027. And of course, please come visit! London Town is open Wednesday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm. Plan your visit here.

Enjoy a surprise membership sale in celebration of our 50th anniversary! Receive 20% off *any* membership level using the coupon code FLASH at www.historiclondontown.org/member. Only good through March 31st so act quickly! Over 560 households have become members of London Town. Join a growing community of history & horticulture supporters. Your membership provides critical funding to care for the gardens and historic buildings, provides educational programming, and keeps London Town open so that you and your friends and families can have a safe place to build memories together. Plus, when you become a member, not only will you receive program discounts and free admission to London Town, you’ll also receive free admission to 300+ gardens nationwide. Questions? Contact Lauren Silberman, deputy director, at 410-222-1919 x205 or lauren@historiclondontown.org.

Jonquil, a fragrant daffodil (Narcissus jonquilla) brings nothing short of pure joy after cold winter days that otherwise seem endless. London Town gardens will soon have hundreds of joyful daffodils pop open with this burst of warm weather. Canary yellow or paper white, single or double, every daffodil makes for a jocund company! Daffodil is one geophyte that is easiest to naturalize. What ae geophytes? Read this: https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbs.../index.php/Geophyte. "Narcissus species and hybrids come in a myriad of sizes, colors, and forms, and some are extremely fragrant. These beautiful flowers are symbols of rebirth and new beginnings. It is thought that the early colonists brought narcissus bulbs with them to America from Europe, but there is no written proof. The first recorded shipment was in 1740, when Peter Collison, a friend of John Bartram’s, sent 40 varieties of narcissus to Bartram in Philadelphia." https://hgic.clemson.edu/daffodils-herald-the-coming-of.../ Daffodils follow the Sun! They come in 13 cultivars, here are some pictures and growing tips: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/narcissus/. Gardens without daffodils are incomplete. Big or small, there is always room for geophytes. Most often, bulbs do not need any maintenance. They multiply on their own and more the merrier when it comes to these lovely naturalizing geophytes. Follow us in the coming weeks to see more pictures of other geophytes that will soon start popping up. Or better yet, come on down to London Town for a jocund company with Jonquils and many more!

Early spring treasures are blossoming almost every week at London Town. From Snowdrops, Sweet box to Pygmy Iris, the flowers of these plants surely seem be thinking out of the box! Having a specific pattern as nectar guides on snowdrops, to bright yellow landing pads on Irises and even flowers without showy petals, the evolution and diversity of flowers is simply mesmerizing! All to attract the pollinators, guiding them to the nectar sources to then pollinate in return and continue their own life cycle. No petals, no problem, pinkish showy anthers are all SweetBox flowers needs. Well, with a sweet lingering scent that can calm any soul, what else would a Sarcoccoca flower need? London Towns ravines are filled with fragrant SweetBox and a special one too, "Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis". It is one of the most underrated ground covers and a five star plant. If you have shade and need an in between layer to tall shrubs like Camellias and low ground covers, then Sweet box is your friend. It needs zero maintenance! Best of all, the tiny petal-less flowers can fill a whole yard with its sweet aroma. https://www.greatplantpicks.org/plantlists/view/1411 Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis, Himalayan Sweetbox How about specific nectar guides to attract the pollinators? And by specific I mean precise, color coded, like those of Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis. The inner petals of snowdrops have specific green marking that act as nectar guides to pollinators. "Snowdrops, Galanthus spp., are small, early-blooming perennial spring bulbs. The name Galanthus comes from the Greek gala (milk), and anthos (flower), referring to the color of the flowers". https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/.../snowdrops-galanthus-spp/ Best of all, is the bright yellow nectar pad on the dwarf Irises, Iris reticulata. The landing pads are on petals that are called as falls. The upright ones are called standards. "Reticulated irises are trouble free performers and persist for years in the garden, though division just as the foliage is dying once every five years will help maintain vigor. "https://www.uaex.edu/.../Iris-reticulata-reticulated-iris... Galanthus nivalis, Snowdrops Flower patterns, colors and aroma are unique and specific to a particular genus. Flowers may look simple, like those of snowdrops, delicate milky-white blossoms dancing happily in cold February, but these flowers are anything but simple. Get up close to these floral treasures to understand the complex patterns and how they are linked to pollinators and then eventually success of their own offspring. Each flower seems to be thinking out of the box to do its best to set fruit, make seeds, then disperse, to finally land and germinate. Evolution of flowering plants is multi-layered and highly complex, doesn't the landing pad of an Iris says it all?

Even before the ground temperatures rise up and frost danger is out of the window, tender young ephemerals peeking out of cold hard bare ground seems only magical to most kids and maybe even those young at heart. Let alone new shoots, how about seeing full grown, fragile petals of Crocus, caring less for the below or above ground temperatures? Now that seems like someone’s cast a spell, Hocus Pocus and Crocus is out! Crocus are one of the easiest and most rewarding bulbs to grow. They prefer sun-part shade and anything but heavy clay. Planting them under a tree canopy or in drifts would enhance any garden. Crocus vernus is one of the earliest blooming species. In fact, the flowers of Crocus sp. bloom before the entire foliage has come out of the ground. Crocus flavus, Yellow mammoth is a superb yellow crocus species that can brighten any yard with just couple of blooms. Interesting fact, Crocus is a corm and not a bulb. Here is a quick video: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/crocus/ As ground temperatures rise, many young ephemeral leaves start emerging. Now if you can't quite make out which bulbs have made it through dormancy and what is coming out next? Here is a clue: grass like leaves are those of Crocus sp.; rosette shaped leaves are mostly Hyacinth sp.; Daffodils have flat thick leaves with round tips gathered tightly around each other and, Tulip leaves have a sharp tip and when young, each leaf looks folded inward. As exciting as it is for garden enthusiasts to see young leaves emerge, they also look tempting to many critters. Be sure to spread out a repellent around new shoots to prevent the pretty leaves from being critter salad! Crocus sp. are rewarding to grow in a garden or a planter, be it big or small. From being an early ephemeral beauty to being one of the most expensive spice, Crocus sps. have varied applications. "According to the University of California, "Crocus" comes from the Latin word for saffron yellow. Roman women used crocus to dye their hair and their textiles yellow. Crocus was even used for trade in Europe as a loan for gold and jewels. The fall-blooming crocus is where the spice saffron comes from, which is a very expensive spice". https://communityenvironment.unl.edu/crocus-0 Ephemeral beauties will soon begin peeking out at London Town. Follow us to learn more of what’s going to peak out next from the bare ground. Hocus Pocus, now let's see what comes next?

In celebration of London Town's 50th anniversary of being open to the public, we're kicking off a monthly series examining the modern history of this colonial site. To start our series, we're looking back at two people who have been long involved with London Town and shaping it into the site it is today. Vicki Lerch in the William Brown House. Photo by Bob Peterson. In 2018, Victoria “Vicki” Lerch retired after 35 years of involvement with Historic London Town and Gardens. For the last 16 years of her tenure, she served as the curator of the William Brown House (c.1760). Originally a large brick tavern providing food, drink, and lodging to local residents and travelers, the William Brown House is the crown jewel of London Town’s historic area -- with Vicki at its heart. Remarkably, she’s been with the William Brown House for a longer period of time than its eponymous creator had lived there. And while William Brown lost his building to bankruptcy in the 1780s, Vicki is heading out on a high note. She just saw through the first phase of a major preservation effort on the National Historic Landmark. Vicki Lerch in the William Brown House. Photo by Bob Peterson. Vicki became involved with London Town back in the early 1980s. She saw an ad in the Capital-Gazette seeking new volunteers for the London Town Assembly. At the time, London Town was administered by Anne Arundel County. The Assembly was its friends’ group. Their volunteers supported the site, crafted its interpretation, and worked with the public. In the Assembly, Vicki discovered a group of volunteers incredibly passionate about telling London Town’s story. Vicki worked with early volunteers, including Cathy Pringle, JoAnn Gidos, and the late Ellie Anderson and Lois Brickham, among many more. There were over 35 people who volunteered at London Town on the history side alone. Back then, the William Brown House was the only colonial building onsite. The group dreamed of reconstructing other buildings and adding a modern visitor center. However, they didn’t let limitations hold them back in sharing the site’s special history. The devoted team used a potent combination of spirit and research to find creative ways to bring history to life. “We did everything, created everything,” Vicki says. “We did education and interpretation, took care of the collections, and served as docents.” Vicki in costume outside of the William Brown House Vicki and the Assembly were complemented by a team of dedicated volunteers working in the gardens. The garden volunteers were overseen by Tony Dove, London Town’s original horticulturist. Amazingly, Tony and his family lived in the upper level of the William Brown House during the 1980s – even as the Assembly interpreted the lower levels to the public. One can imagine the exciting flurry of activity happening in this historic building! Vicki describes all the projects they worked on to make the colonial house feel authentic. The team hand-crafted quilts and curtains and found period-appropriate furnishings. They sewed their own costumes and those for visiting children to wear. The Assembly members not only created an education program at London Town for students, but they also invested in their own professional development. They went down to visit Old Salem for a workshop on the domestic arts and brought up milliners from Colonial Williamsburg for a workshop on costuming. They also started the research library in the upper level of the Brown House. The library ensured that future docents would have access to resources helpful to understanding and sharing the history of the site. It also provided context to London Town’s place in the greater colonial world. Vicki discovered that the story here was “a much broader portion of history than I had expected. Many of the volunteers had a vision for telling a broader interpretation than just your typical historic house museum.” In the early 1990s, Vicki remained with London Town, even as the site underwent major administrative changes. The site transitioned from being county-run to being operated by a new non-profit, the London Town Foundation. The Assembly was dissolved, becoming integrated into the new organization. However, volunteers remained critical to the site’s success, and many – including Vicki – continued with the Foundation. Their efforts ensured the site remained open to the public. Within a few years, Vicki moved from serving as a volunteer to being hired as the volunteer coordinator for the newly formed London Town Foundation. She jokes, saying, “I needed a little income for my history habit!” Vicki with her husband Bernard in the William Brown House Not that she was the only one in her family who became committed to London Town. Around the same time that Vicki became the volunteer coordinator, her husband J.J. Bernard Lerch, III joined the board of trustees for the London Town Foundation. He served on the board for 6 years, playing a crucial role in the start of many important capital projects across the site. However, his involvement didn’t end when his term did. In fact, he continues to serve as a volunteer even today, working weekly with the gardens and landscape. Every Tuesday, Bernard joins our corps of hardy garden volunteers. He can regularly be seen riding on top of the tractor, taking care of much needed projects across the site. In 2003, Vicki became the curator of the William Brown House. She’s carefully maintained the collection, including its most important piece – the William Brown House itself. She has worked diligently to fend off damage from light, dust, and debris. All the while, she has given countless tours to the public and added tremendously to our research and knowledge of the building. During her tenure, a long-held dream of the Assembly’s volunteers became a reality. Vicki and Bernard were instrumental in enabling the first reconstruction onsite – the Lord Mayor’s Tenement. The couple provided critical seed funds for the building’s construction. Their support enabled the Tenement to be built upon the original building’s archaeological footprint and ensured that it constructed as authentically as possible to the time period. This 17th century style structure provides important context in contrast to the William Brown House. Unlike the grandeur of the Brown House’s Georgian architecture, the Lord Mayor’s Tenement was a smaller and far more common building-type for the Chesapeake region. The 20 x 20’ home is made entirely of wood, highly unlike the Brown House’s all-brick exterior. Having the two architecture types helps better tell the story of the diverse people who lived and worked in London Town. Not only that, but the Tenement provided a space for hearthfire demonstrations – another long-held dream. The volunteers had demonstrated what they could on campfires, but it wasn’t the same. Now, visitors could see, smell, and sometimes taste the goodies produced on an authentic hearth, offering a fuller understanding of historic foodways. It is impossible to quantify the impact of Vicki and Bernard’s work at London Town. Their effort is still demonstrated daily while also providing a foundation for years of work to come. Whether its interpreting the site’s history or improving its remarkable landscape, they have provided so much to ensuring the long-term success of London Town. For their dedication and for that of all of the volunteers, we are truly humbled and grateful. Victoria Lerch William Brown House Collections Fund In appreciation of Vicki's remarkable service, London Town has created the Victoria Lerch William Brown House Collections Fund. These funds shall be used to care for and add to the material culture collection within the William Brown House. It will pay for acquiring new items, either reproduction or from the time period; curatorial care for the items; and other services related to caring for the collections. Please consider including a contribution in honor of her service. If you would like a contribution to the new Victoria Lerch William Brown House Collections Fund, you can do so here.

A beautiful Helleborus in London Town's gardens Helleborus, belonging to the buttercup family- Ranunculaceae, bring pure joy in the woodland gardens with their flowers blooming in middle of snowy cold February. If I had to pick one resilient, all season interest ground cover for deep shade woodland gardens, it would be hard to find a match to the genus Helleborus. Details of the Helleborus The flowers come in many colors, and they aptly have a droopy habit that allows them to stay untouched by the snow or sleet in cold months. The coarse leaves are a prefect combination to delicate ferns, bleedings hearts, and other dainty shade loving ephemerals. Helleborus in the Azalea Glade Helleborus also help hide any flaws. Planting them on slopes or under large shrubs is an excellent choice. Their low maintenance needs, evergreen habit, large droopy coarse leaves and easy multiplication by self seeding, help cover the ground faster and wider, and hide any minor weeds or leaf litter you would find on a woodland garden bed. To top it all, their best resilient feature might be their tolerance to drought and disturbed sites (they don't like water logged soil). Another interesting feature of Helleborus is that the flowers are either acaulescent (without any stems or caulescent) or flowers with stems. One neat caulescent species is Helleborus foetidus which has a greenish white flower. Close up of a Helleborus Flower Hellebores flowers also work well as cut flowers if stems are long. But if the stems are not long, the flower heads can be cut, and they would wok fine floating in a bowl of water like Camellias. One of the Helleborus varieties thriving on the slopes of the woodland gardens at London Town is Helleborus 'Red Lady.' 'Red Lady’ is one of a number of seed strain hybrid hellebores (known as the Lady series) developed by Gisela Schmiemann of Cologne, Germany (see also H. x hybridus 'White Lady'). See more about Helleborus × hybridus 'Red Lady' at the Missouri Botanical Garden's Plant Finder here. Helleborus is also commonly called Hellebore, Christmas Rose, Lenten Rose, or Winters Rose. But the flowers do not look anything like a rose. When planting Helleborus, plant them in clusters and on an incline, if you want a better view of the droopy flowers. Helleborus is truly an all season and all star perennial with flowers that can bring cheer to any garden in exhausting dull winter weather. With bloom season starting in mid-February, Helleborus surely makes for a joyful harbinger of spring!

Got flowers on your mind for the weekend? Essence, art, poetry, modern lens, how are you going to capture them for your valentine? Transient gardens are nowadays mostly only captured through modern lenses. But long before the lens captured botanical treasures, artist's renderings of plant morphology- botanical art was not only a form of art, but a necessity to learn about the plant kingdom. "The oldest surviving illustrated manuscript, the Codex Vindebonensis, dates from 512 AD, and is now in the National Library at Vienna"( History of Botanical Art - Part 1: Early Portrayal of Plants | American Society of Botanical Artists asba-art.org). Botanical Poetry was also another way to connect with botany. How far back does it date and how is the famous, Charles Darwin connected to, Eramus Darwin, who initiated the poetic Botany movement? Read more at this neat article from New York Botanical Garden: https://www.nybg.org/poetic-botany/#flowery. Back to botanical art: scroll down on Kew Gardens link for more insight into meticulous botanical illustrations, it is absolutely stunning! https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/what-is-botanic-art Both botanical illustrations and botanical poetry are precious, but they sure aren't for all. Fresh flowers on the other hand, are easiest to reach and can surely connect with any heart, especially on Valentine's day! Art, poetry, modern media, cut flowers all are beautiful, but nothing will bring you closer to flowers than an experiential opportunity you can get at a botanical garden. A memory of a dainty Camellia in a snow-clad garden, exquisite aroma of a Damask Rose on hot summer days or rain drops gathered in Peony petals, London Town offers an experiential opportunity in every season. Here is an easy Valentines Bouquet floral art from Garden design to share with little ones: https://www.gardendesign.com/coloringbook/... Enjoy the video for a glimpse into floral treasures of London Town. Happy Valentine's weekend!

Recent freeze sure made for some serene moments to capture. All seemed quiet and tranquil outside, but is it the same inside? In some plants, it is pure chaos, with damage visible in the near future. Here is some neat information about freezing weather and plants: https://caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu/.../freezing-weather-and.../. "The damage happens when ice crystals form inside plant cells. Ice causes two major problems in plant cells. The individual ice crystals act as tiny pins, which poke thousands of holes into the delicate cell membrane. This is a problem because plant cells are highly organized. When ice crystals form, poking all those holes, it causes the highly compartmentalized stuff inside the cells to ooze out of the cells. This causes the cells to die, and if the entire plant is affected, the plant dies. "The second problem is actually dehydration. As ice forms, it leaves less water available to dilute salts, sugars, and other “stuff” inside the plant cell. This increased concentration of salts can damage the cell structure and also cause plant cells to die. Some plants have adapted to the challenges of sharp ice crystals and cellular dehydration. These adaptations allow the plant to survive freezing conditions. However, not all plants can survive winter weather." "Some plants produce a substance that protects the cell contents from freeze damage. Same mechanism that helps plants cope with freezing temperatures may also help with drought conditions too". Plants have highly evolved mechanisms to cope stress, whether it is heat or cold. Those able to adapt, thrive!

Cold days or gusty winds don't seem to bother most buds and berries. Brightening up the dormant woodland gardens currently, are the silvery clusters of Edgeworthia buds, bright burgundy buds of Skimmia japonica and many red berries. Edgeworthia chrysantha is one of the best winter interest shrubs. It is deciduous but the bare branches are loaded with abundant silvery white buds in winter that are unlike any other. Edgeworthias are early spring bloomers and like Daphne, fragrant enough to smell from a distance. If you notice closely, the buds are covered with fine silky hairs, maybe its best defense mechanism? The silky hairs on the buds seem to make them glow in light but, what is aesthetic to us might be a deterrent to animals to protect the fragile inner flower parts. Skimmia japonica, is another unique winter garden shrub that is now coming into the trend in retail nurseries. Very undervalued for its potential, this evergreen shrub has a good height, waxy leaves, sturdy flower heads ad very attractive red berries to make this shrub a complete a year round winner. The burgundy buds are waxy and tightly closed protecting the fragile flower parts. Their unique color and shinny coating make them aesthetic, but probably not so appealing to animals foraging for food. The red berries on the other hand are shouting out bright colors, trying to be attractive to be eaten or picked and dropped. You can find more information on Skimmia at https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/skimmia-japonica. Buds (flower or leaf) and berries provide a function that is very crucial in the plants life cycle. They withstand weather changes, undergo dormancy and stay put until it is the right time to open up. In the case of buds, the longer they can protect the flower parts, the longer the plant has a chance of producing fruits and seeds. In case of berries, the longer they can stay dormant and the more attractive they are, the higher the chance of the success of the last stage, seed dispersal. -Meenal Harankhedkar, Director of Horticulture.

The Lost Lives of London Town series remembers the lives of Africans and African-Americans enslaved in the London Town area. We'll share their stories as best as we know of them. The stories aren't always easy to read, but they are always important. In 1750, Joseph Galloway’s tobacco house caught fire in London Town. Everything inside was destroyed. A fortune gone. He pointed the finger at Grace and Jane, two women he owned. His brother John was Deputy Sheriff, who arrested Grace and Jane. In this installment of our series #LostLivesOfLondonTown, we look at how slavery disenfranchised not only these two women but everyone else it ensnared. Slavery allowed people of power to use enslaved people however they sought fit. The laws allowed a person to own another person, rip apart families, or to force them to do whatever you wished. And if a slave owner decided that money was more valuable than two people’s lives, they could arrange for that. The women pled innocent to the charge of arson. The testimony records “that they are in no wise Guilty thereof and for Trial they put themselves upon God and the Country.” However, as people enslaved, they had little legal standing and no method to counter accuse Joseph Galloway. By law, they were not allowed to speak up against anyone who was white. A local “Gentleman” named Henry Darnall did speak on their behalf. A white man with land and money, he used his station to ask Anne Arundel County to investigate more deeply into the matter before condemning Grace and Jane. Nor was he the only neighbor to have doubt about their guilt. Grace and Jane maintained their innocence throughout the short trial. But it was no of avail. On Friday, April 15, 1751, they were hanged outside Annapolis City Gate. As a final insult to their memory, Joseph Galloway was awarded £100 by the county for their deaths. Colonial law provided financial compensation to enslavers when their human property was executed. They paid up to “Three Fourths of their Value.” Did Galloway accuse them knowing they couldn’t fight back? Was he hoping to recover money for their execution to counter his lost fortune? We will never know. Not all enslaved people convicted and sentenced to death were guaranteed this fate. However, in a study on the death sentence in colonial Maryland between 1726 - 1775, C. Ashley Ellefson found that enslaved people only had a 44% chance of being reprieved or pardoned. In other words, they had a 56% of dying. Odds that Grace and Jane lost. This Friday June 19th marks Juneteenth, the day celebrating the actual end of slavery, when the last people enslaved in America learned of their freedom. On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas, and informed those still enslaved there that they were free. Unfortunately, it was well over 100 years after the unnecessary deaths of Grace and Jane.