Freetown, Orange County, Virginia

Freetown is a freedmen's town in Orange County, Virginia founded by formerly enslaved people, one of multiple Freetowns created in Central Virginia during the Reconstruction Era.[1][2][3][4] One of the founders was Chester Lewis, who was born enslaved around 1830 on a plantation in Lahore, Virginia.[5][6]

Village life was "communal", according to Phil Audibert. "Your child was everybody's child, and your parents were everybody's parents. If you borrowed a cup of sugar, you returned two."[1] Life in the community was detailed by Edna Lewis in her 1976 The Taste of Country Cooking.[7]

An annual Revival celebration is held in August at the Bethel Baptist Church in nearby Unionville.[8] In 2024, an historical marker honoring Edna Lewis was installed at the site.[9]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Hennessy, Maggie (2023-01-11). "Retracing the History of Freetown Through the Life and Legacy of Edna Lewis". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  2. ^ "Finding Virginia's Freetowns". ArcGIS StoryMaps. 2024-06-12. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  3. ^ "Edna Lewis · Virginia Changemakers". Virginia.gov. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  4. ^ Tobey, Annie (2021-02-17). "Freedmen's Communities & Chef Edna Lewis". Boomer Magazine. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  5. ^ Smith, Ruth Lewis (2021-10-17). "The Lewis Family of Freetown". Orange County African American Historical Society. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  6. ^ Timms, Deborah (19 January 2023). "Orange County celebrates culinary icon Edna Lewis". Richmond Free Press. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  7. ^ Serino, Kenichi (2023-05-25). "Tracing a rich history of Black American cuisine in Edna Lewis' footsteps". PBS News. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  8. ^ Barnwell, Neely Dykshorn (2009-10-13). "Edna of Freetown". Virginia Living. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  9. ^ Jarvis, Kris (2024-05-14). "Edna Lewis Historical Marker unveiled in Orange County - The Piedmont Journal Recorder". The Piedmont Journal Recorder. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  10. ^ Sen, Mayukh (2018-09-26). "The People of Freetown". Popula. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
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