Unearthing history: Graveyard found at Dickinson Plantation

By Mike Finney
Posted 3/24/21

DOVER — When a Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs team identified a burial ground on the John Dickinson Plantation property March 9, the members immediately knew that they had just uncovered a piece of history — and had taken on even more responsibility.

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Unearthing history: Graveyard found at Dickinson Plantation

Posted

DOVER — When a Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs team identified a burial ground on the John Dickinson Plantation property March 9, the members immediately knew that they had just uncovered a piece of history — and had taken on even more responsibility.

Prior to the find, they knew there must have been a burial ground on-site for the tenant farmers, indentured servants and free and enslaved Black men, women and children who lived, worked and died on the plantation’s 450 acres of property at 340 Kitts Hummock Road, near Dover.

And after two years of archaeological fieldwork, the division finally found it.

It is believed to likely hold the graves of enslaved individuals and other African Americans who lived on the land owned by the Dickinson family. It is located on an agricultural piece of the property.

Jeff Bullock, Delaware’s secretary of state, said he was excited to hear of the recent discovery.

“We remain committed to telling inclusive history,” Mr. Bullock said. “This includes restoring dignity to those who have been forgotten. This important discovery presents a powerful moment for every Delawarean.”

Gloria Henry, who serves as the site manager at the John Dickinson Plantation, said historical records had indicated there was a graveyard on its grounds.

“We’ve known that there was (a graveyard) here on the property. We just didn’t know where it was,” Ms. Henry said. “So yes, it’s exciting. We’ve wanted to find it for a long time, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility.

“We have a lot more research to do. We want to include the public in deciding our next step in our planning and, eventually, our interpretation and our plan for the area and the site. We do look at it as a scared site, and we have a very large responsibility at handling it correctly.”

John Dickinson, one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution and a leader during the American Revolution, lived at the plantation — generally known as Poplar Hall — throughout his childhood. The home also served as a “sometime residence” during his later years.

A press release from the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs on Tuesday noted that Mr. “Dickinson wrote eloquently about freedom and liberty while at the same time holding other human beings in bondage.”

Ms. Henry said that tours presented at the John Dickinson Plantation involve many different aspects of life during revolutionary times.

“Out here at the plantation, we already tell the stories — not just of the Dickinson family, with John Dickinson being one of our Founding Fathers and a signer and framer of the U.S. Constitution — but we also tell the stories of the tenant farmers, who he’s leasing the land out to,” she said.

“We tell the stories of the enslaved people who lived, worked and died here, the tradesmen and the craftsmen, the indentured servants who worked here and also of the three Blacks who leased land from John Dickinson who lived and worked and died here, also.”

She added, “We try to include the stories of everyone who lived (here) or who called this plantation a home, willingly or unwillingly.”

There is one marked grave at the Dickinson Plantation — that of Samuel Dickinson, John’s father.

“We do know that we have a site here that we believe is Samuel Dickinson’s burial site,” Ms. Henry said. “Samuel Dickinson was a tobacco merchant and farmer in Talbot County, Maryland, and he moved here and eventually became a judge for the Court of Common Pleas in Delaware.”

Now, the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs said it will focus on the newly discovered burial ground that was originally referenced in primary-source documents.

The division has said it will continue to undertake research to learn more about the burial ground and those interred there and to also engage with descendant communities in making important decisions regarding the expansion of the interpretive footprint of the land.

“This is sacred ground for Delaware, and we will continue to treat it with the honor and respect it deserves,” said Tim Slavin, director of the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. “Our path forward is to protect the site, engage with the community about how to proceed and continue to learn more through research and dialogue.”

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