The Dwelling of Enslaved Africans
“The Dwelling” refers to the historic site on Richmond Hill’s campus where enslaved individuals once lived and worked. Once misidentified as a shed, archaeological and historical research revealed the structure’s deeper significance and its connection to Richmond’s complex past.
Learn more about the dwelling
Dwelling Leadership
Dr. Lauranett Lee transitioned into leadership of the Dwelling’s rehabilitation in 2022 after the retirement of Pam Smith, who began the project of unearthing and rehabilitating the Dwelling of Enslaved Africans in the summer of 2019.
Dr. Lee is a public historian whose work centers inclusive storytelling, facilitated dialogue, and community-engaged history. Trained as a nineteenth-century Southern historian, she explores the roots of race and racism and the ways history shapes contemporary society. She is Director of Race and Social Justice at Richmond Hill and previously served as the founding Curator of African American History at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Dr. Lee has taught at the University of Richmond and consults nationally with museums, universities, and faith communities.
The Future of The Dwelling
Where racial oppression on this continent began is where it can end.
The Dwelling of Enslaved Africans at Richmond Hill will provide a home for the deep work
of honoring enslaved ancestors while imagining a future of justice and peace.
You can be that change by honoring the ancestors and regenerating their living space with love, honor and purpose.