Virginia Association of Museums Conference

The First Baptist Church of Williamsburg is one of the oldest Black churches in the country, established in 1776 and still worshipping today. Before moving to its current location, the Church worshipped on land and in a structure that was acquired and demolished by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in the mid-20^th century. In 2020 Colonial Williamsburg, the modern congregation, and numerous community partners began an initiative to uncover, recreate, and interpret the original church. This panel discussion will explore the decision-making process that has taken place between Colonial Williamsburg, the Let Freedom Ring Foundation, the descendants of those who worshipped in the historic church, and the broader African American community. This process has been instrumental in developing a community-engaged project based on informed consent to recreate the original church, examine its cemetery, and interpret its history to the public. Panelists will discuss the process of working through the many complex decisions associated with this project from different perspectives. Topics to be discussed include how to start a project like this, how to deal with a museum’s mixed legacy of community interactions, how to treat human burials in ways that respect the community’s priorities and wishes, and how to authentically recreate an early 19^th century meeting house. Attendees will hear from executive leadership from Colonial Williamsburg, community leadership that has driven the project, and experts in archaeology and architectural restoration. Attendees to this panel will be inspired to contemplate their own museum’s legacy of community involvement and think about ways to engage community members in the decision-making process to effectively meet the needs of both museum and community partners.