Susie King Taylor (1848-1912)
Civil War Nurse
A Project undertaken by The Heritage Guild, Inc. to mark the historical presence and contributions of noteworthy African Americans in the Boston area.
Susie King Taylor (1848-1912)
Civil War Nurse
The story of the African presence in Boston, dating from 1638, is as remarkable as it is long. It spans the city's history from it's days as the site of the Boston Tea Party and the preeminent port of origin for the American slave trade to its place as the "cradle of liberty" and the capital of the abolition movement. From Crispus Attucks and Phillis Wheatley, Prince Hall and Thomas Paul, and the black minutemen who fought at Bunker Hill, to David Walker and Maria Stewart, William C. Nell, Lewis and Harriet Hayden, and the soldiers of the Massachusetts 54th and 55th Colored Regiments, African American Bostonians were integral players in the landmark events that transformed this community, this country, and the world.
By the middle of the eighteenth century, Boston had one of the North's major concentrations of free blacks. While slavery was a fact of life at the time, African Americans in Boston and New England were engaged in virtually every economic enterprise. Though largely unrecognized as to who they were and what they did, they made an indelible mark on our history. Despite great adversity, they displayed strength and leadership in overcoming injustice and prejudice in Boston, as well as courage in raising their voices against the evils of slavery in the South. Until recent years, however, their accomplishments and role in history were never properly acknowledged.
In 1975, fifteen African American women in Boston organized The Heritage Guild, Inc. to address this omission by recognizing and documenting the contributions of some of their illustrious forebears to Boston's history. Drawing on the scholarship and resources of its members, The Guild identified Boston residences associated with African American men and women of historical significance and sought to honor them by placing plaques on the sites. By 1983, The Guild was incorporated as a tax-exempt, non-profit organization to pursue this goal.
Considerable research and financial resources have gone into the work of the Guild. As Boston is an old city, changes in street names and numbering of the residences have often made The Guild's research difficult, taking from six to twelve months to complete. Once a residence has been identified, the permission of the owner must be obtained and the text of the plaque agreed upon by both the owner and the Guild. The project must be brought to a public meeting of the Boston Architectural Commission where interested parties may be heard. At that time the Commission votes approval or disapproval of the Guild proposal. Finally, a building permit must then be secured from the City of Boston. Once the project is approved by the Commission, the Guild assumes full responsibility for having a bronze plaque cast. In consultation with the owners, the plaque is then placed on the residence.
To date, The Heritage Guild, Inc. has identified, and recognized the following African American men and women of historical note by placing plaques on their residences or places of business:
66 Phillips Street
Residence
3 Smith Court
Residence
110 Cummington Street
Boarding Stable and Garage
33 Rutland Square
Residence
83 Phillips Street
Residence
28 Grove Street
Residence
36 West Cedar Street
Residence
103 Charles Street
Residence
23 Holyoke Street
Residence
12 Belknap Street (73-75 Joy Street)
Residence
8 Belknap Street (81 Joy Street)
Residence
8 Belknap Street (81 Joy Street)
Residence
The Heritage Guild, Inc. sponsored and promoted the 1985 publication Developing a Black Meritocracy: A History of Black Graduates of the Boston Latin School, written by Adelaide M. Cromwell. The Guild also gave the school portraits of its first two African American graduates, Parker Bailey and Clement Morgan. The Guild played a key role in placing the name of Wade Hampton McCree, Class of 1937, on the frieze of the Boston Latin School auditorium, which honors the school's distinguished graduates. In addition, the Guild presented a portrait of Thomas Paul, Sr. to the African Meeting House and a portrait of John Sweat Rock to the Boston Bar Association.
Adelaide M. Cromwell, President
Jacquelyn E. Arrington
Myrna D. Bocage
Carol Bonner Saulny
Ruth E. Fitch
Johnnie Hamilton-Mason
Margaret H. McKinney
Beverly Morgan-Welch
Laura B. Morris
Wilma Peebles-Wilkins
Edith L. Walker
Barbara Wooten
Mae B. Bonitto
Frances J. Bonner
Camille T. Johnson
Dorothy Jones
Lucy Mitchell
Beryl Robinson
Inez Russell
Patricia Stokes
Adelaide H. Walker
For more information about the Heritage Guild, Inc. e-mail heritageguild@yahoo.com
Photograph of Susie King Taylor courtesy of Markus Wiener Publishing, Inc.