On March 9, a burial ground was found on the property of the John Dickinson Plantation, which is believed to be the final resting place for enslaved men, women and children, as well as free African Americans, who died on the site. This sacred ground has been identified after years of dedicated research to discover its location.
Located at 340 Kitts Hummock Road, south of Dover, the John Dickinson Plantation is the boyhood home of John Dickinson, known as the “Penman of the Revolution” and a framer and signer of the U.S. Constitution. Dickinson wrote about freedom and liberty for all, while continuing to hold human beings in bondage. His plantation was home to a variety of people who lived there both voluntarily and by force.
The division had long known of a burial ground associated with the property. Its location, however, had been lost to time and historical record. We were determined to locate the burial ground and never let the people and families buried there be forgotten again. Their lives and their stories are important, relevant and painful. These uncomfortable narratives need to be told and shared with the public.
There are various plantation records mentioning deaths and a cemetery. One of the most compelling accounts is Violet Brown’s story. Violet was a Black woman enslaved by the Dickinson family who became a nursemaid to John Dickinson’s children. She eventually gained her freedom. We know that she spoke to Sally Dickinson, John’s daughter, who wrote down the recollections. Violet described the death of her father, Pompey, and the funeral procession passing by the mansion on the way to the burial ground, suggesting it was in close proximity to the house.
The burial ground was located half a mile from the mansion in a farm field and measures 160 feet by 170 feet. The mansion house is within view of the graves, which were discovered by the Dovetail Cultural Resource Group and South River Heritage Consulting LLC. The search conducted using historical research, ground-penetrating radar, metal-detecting and shovel-testing. The archaeologists dug trenches and exposed the tops of grave shafts. No human remains were disturbed during this process. The trenches were refilled after documenting and protecting the grave shafts.
As interpreters and historians at the site, we share the stories of the Dickinsons, the tenant farmers, the tradespeople, the indentured servants, the free and enslaved people, and the families who lived, labored and died on the land. “Five Stories,” an exhibit that explores the lives of several of these people, is currently on display in the plantation’s Visitor Center along with an exhibit on three documented freedom seekers who escaped from slavery.
The Dickinson family were farmers, merchants and slaveholders. In 1760, John Dickinson inherited the plantation and the many individuals and families his father had enslaved. By 1767, he leased the mansion, the grounds, his other nearby properties and the enslaved Black men, women and children to tenant farmers in exchange for money, crops, products and animals. The enslaved people were a skilled workforce that consisted of tailors, farmers, shoemakers, tanners and carpenters. The enslaved individuals, indentured servants and free Black people provided labor for the plantation and created wealth for the Dickinson family.
In 1777, John Dickinson enacted a conditional manumission freeing several African Americans that he held in bondage. He wrote they would be free in 21 years. In 1781, he unconditionally manumitted six men, women and children. In 1786, he signed an unconditional manumission that released all the enslaved individuals that he owned from bondage. Dickinson listed, by name, the men, women and children he manumitted.
Afterwords, some of the free Black people were employed by the Dickinsons, some of the children were indentured to John Dickinson, and some of the elderly lived on the property. The plantation remained in the Dickinson family until the early 20th century and opened to the public as a museum in May 1956. The portion of the property with the burial ground was purchased by the state in the early 2000s.
In 2020, the division published a race and equity statement in which we declared that we would listen to the public and be a safe place for difficult conversations and uncomfortable truths. We want all voices to be heard and promise to preserve and share Delaware history for current and future generations. To keep our promise, we need help from the community. We established an Advisory Committee for the John Dickinson Plantation, which will assist with improvements to site interpretation, inclusive history research, educational and public programming, and capital improvements.
There are many difficult decisions and conversations still to be had regarding the burial ground: What are the plans for the future? Who will make these decisions? How do we balance our need for information, while respecting the sanctity of this sacred space?
We do not wish to exploit in death those who had no control over their bodies and lives while alive. How do we interpret the silent voices from the past? How do we share with the public all the stories about the lives of people who were forgotten? How do we help the public and our staff process these uncomfortable truths and painful narratives? We plan to engage the public and descendent communities in future decisions and discussions regarding the burial ground.
As part of our mission to share Delaware’s history, in September we will begin conducting tours that visit the burial ground. The experience will include an orientation in the Visitor Center, a tour of the re-created logged dwelling and a half-mile walk to the burial ground. Tours will be available Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Due to limited capacity, reservations are recommended. More details will be available soon on the John Dickinson Plantation website and Facebook page.
Our goal is to share the stories of the lives of the Black families who lived, labored and died on the plantation. We pledge to preserve the burial ground and to remember and honor the men, women and children who rest on this sacred ground, never to be lost or forgotten again.
Gloria Henry is site supervisor for the John Dickinson Plantation south of Dover.
