Honoring the Lives of the Enslaved at Smithfield, Solitude, and White Thorn (1774–1865)

Join us at Historic Smithfield this Juneteenth as we solemnly remember and honor the 226 men, women, and children who were enslaved at Smithfield, Solitude, and White Thorn between 1774 and 1865. Their lives, their labor, and their legacies shaped this land, and their names deserve to be spoken, remembered, and rooted in our shared memory.

A Ceremony of Remembrance

As part of our commemoration, we will read aloud the names of the enslaved individuals. Each name will be written on eco-friendly paper and carefully affixed to the Merry Tree—a deeply significant and symbolic landmark on this land.

The Merry Tree is not just a tree. It stands as a living witness to history, a silent keeper of stories that have too often gone untold. Enslaved people and enslavers alike referred to it as the Merry Tree, though for those held in bondage, it may have offered something far more profound: a glimpse of hope, a place of imagined rootedness in a life of displacement.

Learn more about the Merry Tree and it’s significance to to the enslaved communities here.