In Blacksburg, the Historic Smithfield museum is hosting a series of events this weekend to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Smithfield house. Over 200 enslaved workers built and worked at a plantation here and their legacy is being honored at the anniversary.
Near the edge of Virginia Tech’s campus is a huge white home that was completed in 1774. Surrounding the house are slave quarters, a reminder of the workers who made and operated the Smithfield plantation.
“We especially want to remember the people who were enslaved and built this plantation to what it became and remember that their labor was indeed stolen from them,” said Michael Hudson, executive director of Historic Smithfield.
Descendants of indigenous people who lived here before white settlers will also be honored, said Mariam Preston Davie, one of the organizers of the anniversary.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for all of us to be together,” said Davie, one of the descendants of the Preston family. “I’m sure there will be some emotions and some not easy times maybe for everybody getting together. But I think it’s way past time that we try to tell all these stories and make sure everybody is included.”
The museum’s youngest volunteer, 12-year-old Christine Hebdon, said she looks forward to meeting new people with a connection to this home.
“I’m very excited for the event,” Hebdon said. She was featured in a film about the Preston family, “Showing of the Roots of a Nation: The Smithfield Story,” which will screen Friday evening at 7:30 at the Holtzman Alumni Center Assembly Hall.
On Saturday July 27, from 9:00-11:30 there will be a discussion of the histories of the first indigenous peoples of the New River Valley, the Preston family and other white settlers to the area, and the enslaved workers.
On Saturday at 1:15 there will be a dedication of a memorial bench, made from wood that came from a famous oak tree, known as the Merry Oak. The tree, which was damaged several years ago during a storm, was once a gathering place for enslaved people. The bench is dedicated to the families of those who were enslaved.
A full schedule of events can be found here.
