Lewisville Road Symposium

Back in March the township gathered to commemorate the installation of an historic marker highlighting the rich history of the Lewisville Road community. Politicians and historians made speeches. A promise was made to gather again in the fall to learn more about the rich history of this nearly forgotten neighborhood.

At the back entrance of the exclusive Lawrenceville School once stood the first Black neighborhood in Lawrenceville. Some of the people living there worked at the prep school. But that is only a small part of their history.

The area was formed by former enslaved families and their descendants in the 1840s -- about two decades before the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation was law. Lewis W.R. Phillips freed his slaves and joined the abolition movement in the 1820s. Two decades later he started selling parcels of his land to Blacks. There is a great write up about him on the Lawrence Hopewell Trail website, the 20-mile trail passes through what is left of this neighborhood.

On September 26 the township gathered at the Lawrenceville School to learn more about this area. The symposium included the Lawrence High School gospel choir, speeches by area politicians, but most importantly members of this community and their descendants. They reminisced about a gentler time in a past that is not that long ago. When everyone was in and out of each other's homes. When race was forgotten. When racism was hidden from the youngsters. The Lawrence Historical Society is starting an oral history project to capture these stories. "When old person dies, it is like when a library burns down because they preserved the memories of the community."  

Mayor Patricia Hendricks Farmer used township historian Brooke Hunter's description of the neighborhood as "small in size, but rich in history."

Rev. Dr. Charles Franklin Boyer of the Greater Mount Zion AME Church in Trenton gave the keynote speech. He let it slip that he had to leave early because he was due in Washington, DC to pray with the Black caucus event.

The community was formed in the 1840s. By the 1890s there were a dozen homes plus the AME church. Members owned their homes -- which was rare in the Jim Crow era. They continued to own their homes for generations.

Dr. Boyer's church was formed in 1797 as the first Black church in Trenton. They met the needs of their community by having a credit union, a preschool, and were active in the national civil rights movement. The church fit both the spiritual and social needs for their community. "These stones still speak."

"The present challenges of history and humanity are under threat." There is a "temptation to fall into despair or debate. Our ancestors created mutual aid and made a way out of no way. We will build again, remember publicly." 

I was so inspired listening to him. I hope his speech was recorded. He talked about his congregation's history of creating Black infrastructure at a time when they could not participate in what was available to whites, such as the maternal health project. They "organized policy from the pulpit to the people. When faith stays together there is a racial impact."

"Memory is muscle -- use it or lose it. Teach Lewisville Road history" to preserve its legacy. "Take courage. Be Courageous. Courage is contagious." "Record stories. Engage. Protect what we build. We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses."

Our "ancients are calling us forward. Build again. Organize again. Hope again."

He dashed out to Washington, and left the room to a standing ovation. It was hard not to have hope in that moment.

Then the panel gathered in their comfy seats. Mr. Chester, one of the last people
still living in the neighborhood, lives in the house his grandfather bought in 1925. Where eight children and grandchildren were raised.

Glen Nevius, also of Lewisville Road, said "it didn't matter your color, you are family." His great grandson briefly joined him on stage -- the seventh generation represented. 

Jade Thomas great up on Lewisville Road, but moved away. She remembers just how many children lived near each other. Her mother was the third generation to live there, she was the fourth. Within five houses there were 15 children, and another five a block away. They played together.

Fred LeCompte built his house. He had walnut and other trees. Many spoke about how self-sufficient they were. Families grew tomatoes, berries, apple trees, etc. They called their food, storing it for the winter.

Jack Maple (?) was well-known as a local policemen. When youngsters got into trouble, he brought them home to their parents. He respected the members of the community. Mr. Chester became a police officer and followed that model.

Growing up there were dirt roads, cesspools, no water. It was a tight association. "The best life. Abundance of love. I'm proud to be here." added Mr. Chester.

They had one non-African American member, Mrs. Huber, she was a part of the community.

Lessons learned from growing up in the community:

• Family land
• Faith
• Resilience (recover from trauma)
• Strong work ethic
• Justice - equality - civil rights

There was no school bus provided to their neighborhood, so they cut through the prep school. 

"We had creativity. We were rarely bored. We shared food. We didn't have much. We made stuff out of what was available (cardboard for bases, a branch for a bat). We were rich in abundance of life." Students moderating the symposium couldn't imagine a life before cell phones.

The original church is gone. Left behind are the brick foundation Glen discovered once as a child. After Mary "Sis" Ferguson called him out for digging up the bricks, "I hastily put it back." That was the first time he knew a church had stood in that location. Pam, one of the other panelists, said her uncle was baptized there, and he and her aunt were married in that church. None of the panelists were old enough to see Mount Pisgah AME (African Methodist Episcopal) church.

The church community then moved to 61 Phillips in a building that is now a home. I keep meaning to walk over to it to see the former one room church. Phillips is located on the other side of the Lawrenceville School.

"The ground speaks, and you listen. Always instilled faith, which prepared you for tough times. I know I'd be okay when tough times came," added Pam. After learning one of the houses was part of the underground railroad she was too afraid to play hide and seek in that basement. "They paved the way. I always go back to faith. I am who I am because of inspirations of common faith and freedom to be who I want to be and to explore that."

Mr. Chester is now a security guard at the the high school. "Don't forget where you came from. Reach back. Always have resilience. Have a common cause higher than I. Always strive to do better. Make a difference in this life." 

Inspirational!

"We just want equality and justice for all."

The event closed with the gospel choir performing and two more speakers. Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson implored us "to continue to share their stories." Seven generations since the 1840s. "They wanted a permanent place for their families. They preserved it. They didn't lose it. Say their names. ... Keep Black history alive."

Neel Desai, the assistant superintendent for curriculum at Lawrence Township Public Schools and Bernandette Teeley, the dean of faculty at the Lawrenceville School closed us out. 

Desai announced the Lewisville history has been added to the LTPS curriculum to show students how this neighborhood connects the Civil Rights movement to the local community. They want to affirm that their history is not just a footnote, but that it matters. "You matter. Your community helped shape truth and completeness." To give them a deeper identities. "They are models of resilience, of agency, and pride. They are part of school and programs and something larger. Keep their histories alive. Carry their stories in your hearts."

I left feeling anything and everything is possible.