public considers plans for an African burial ground memorial

On the morning of Oct. 7, 2003, while excavating a 12-foot hole on the corner of Chestnut and Court streets in Portsmouth, workers from Gove Construction encountered the base of a hexagonal coffin. Over the course of six working days, archaeologists recovered the skeletal remains of eight individuals from seven burial shafts. It was soon discovered that the remains belonged to African and African American slaves from Colonial times. Estimates date some of the oldest remains to 1705. Archaeologists and city officials quickly realized the significance of their find and formed an African Burial Ground Committee to determine the fate of the unique site.

“This is a unique opportunity to commemorate this history in Portsmouth,” said David Moore, program manager for the Portsmouth Department of Community Development. “The site itself, the archeological discovery, is unique, interesting and important. People take this opportunity really seriously, both the committee members and the public.”

But a number of factors limit options for a proposed memorial to mark the burial ground, and debate over a commemorative park’s design has heated up in recent weeks. The committee held a public meeting on May 5 to review the archaeological findings, discuss the oft-overlooked history of African Americans in Portsmouth and collect ideas for a park commemorating the burial ground. Roberta Woodburn of Woodburn & Company, a landscape architecture firm, was there to gather ideas for the park’s conceptual design. “We came to that meeting with a white slate and asked the community what they wanted,” Woodburn said. She unveiled her designs at a second public meeting, held June 19 at the Levenson Community Meeting Room in the Portsmouth Public Library.

Strong emotions were evident throughout the recent meeting. People hugged each other and shared warm smiles before the meeting started. It seemed as if many of the guests had not seen each other since the previous meeting, which was attended by about 30 people, according to Moore. A slightly larger crowd attended the June 19 meeting. 

Woodburn introduced her team, which included another landscape architect, an engineer and a museum consultant who had worked on an African burial ground in New York City—the only other known African burial ground in the Northeast. “We believe in community-based design,” Woodburn told the audience. “We listen and listen hard. We adapt and adjust based on the ideas you give,” she added.

Each design was based on common themes that came out of the first meeting, as well as suggestions from the African Burial Ground Committee. Those themes include honoring and respecting those buried at the site, telling the story of who the people buried there were, and keeping it simple, peaceful and reflective. The design should make the site visible and attractive in a respectful way, celebrating the African story while making a connection to Portsmouth. Woodburn employed several design elements to help fulfill these objectives, including water to illustrate the flow of history and inscribed bricks to explain what role African Americans played in the industry and politics of early Portsmouth. 

The park would be located on Chestnut Street between State and Court streets and would be closed to motor vehicles. Only pedestrians could move through the narrow street, which would be repaved with cobblestones.  

Each design had the same linear concept, with an introductory space at the corner of State and Chestnut streets, a transitional space in the middle and a final contemplative space at the end. But each plan differed slightly in the details. Some had “urban hardy trees” lining only one side, while others had trees on both sides. And each design called for something different in the contemplative space. One involved a circular sculpture with a map of the Atlantic slave route forming the centerpiece. Some of the designs were purposefully unsettling to remind people of the perils of slavery. Many included quotes from an 18th century proclamation that 20 African American men wrote to the N.H. Legislature, protesting the practice of slavery. 

After the initial presentation, people were invited to walk around the room and look at displays of each design. Members of Woodburn’s team stood beside each drawing and answered questions. “This one gives the widest range of experience to teach and educate,” commented one attendee, referencing the fourth design. “It also says, ‘This is a cemetery, folks,’” another guest said in response.

People later commented on the designs and voiced their concerns. Eric Weinrieb, who has an office on the corner of Court and Chestnut streets, wanted to make sure the park would be accessible to pedestrians from both sides. He also suggested that a portion of Chestnut Street be renamed after a civil rights leader from the area. Another man said he hoped that any trees planted at the site would have plenty of room to grow and not wither after a mere 10 years. Woodburn suggested honey locust trees because they were “urban hardy” and reminiscent of some trees in West Africa.

But that idea was unacceptable to archaeologist Edna M. Feighner, compliance coordinator for the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. In fact, any trees would present a problem. Only a few skeletal remains were removed from one side of Chestnut Street, but many people, including Feighner, assume that the entire area is filled with gravesites. Because a tree’s root structure would impact any other buried remains, a complete archaeological assessment would have to be done before any trees could be planted, she said.

Feighner’s comment perturbed many people. Jack McGee of the African Burial Ground Committee was upset by what he viewed as a lack of coordination between state and local levels. Better coordination would enable park designers “to know what we can do and cannot do,” McGee said. Woodburn said trees would be a nice way to symbolize the natural process of death and rebirth and would be an appropriate memorial to the deceased. The gravesites have already been severely impacted by past construction, including the installation of gas lines, sewer lines and roadways, she noted. But Feighner remained unmoved by the symbolic gestures and focused on government protocol.  

By the end of the meeting, it appeared a final decision was still a distant goal. The African Burial Ground Committee will meet several more times before they making its final recommendations to the City Council.