The Heritage Guild, Inc.

The Heritage Guild, Inc.

Mrs. Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin
Founder and President of the National
Federation of Afro-American Women

"History does not furnish a case of the elevation of colored people by ignoring the thought and aspiration of the people thus served"
- Carter G. Woodson

The Reason

The story of the African American presence in Boston, dating from 1639, is as remarkable as it is long. It spans the city's history from its days as the site of the Boston Tea Party and the pre-eminent 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.

The Odyssey and Marking the Past for the Future

In 1975, fifteen African American women in Boston organized The Heritage Guild, Inc. to address the omission of the historical presence and contributions of noteworthy African Americans in the Boston area. The organization researched and documented the contributions of some of their illustrious forbears to Boston's history. Drawing on the scholarship and resources of its members, the Guild identifies Boston residences associated with African American men and women of historical significance and seeks to honor them by placing plaques on these sites. By 1983, The Guild was incorporated as a tax-exempt non-profit organization to pursue this goal.

Members of The Heritage Guild

Adelaide M. Cromwell, President
Jacquelyne E. Arrington
Sherdena Dorsey Cofield
Ruth E. Fitch
Vivian R. Johnson
Johnnie Hamilton-Mason
Margaret H. McKinney
Beverly Morgan-Welch
Laura B. Morris
Denise Patmon
Wilma Peebles-Wilkins
Edith L. Walker
Constance Williams

The Results

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.

Lewis Hayden (1811-1889)

Fugitive slave, leading abolitionist, rescuer of Shadrach, Underground Railroad conductor, member of the Boston Vigilance Committee, active member of Prince Hall Lodge of Masons, and state legislator.

66 Phillips Street Residence

William C. Nell (1816-1874)

Newspaper man and activist, born in Boston on Beacon Hill, lead integrationist of Boston Public Schools (1840), first Black historian, opponent of discrimination by the federal government (1861), and first black civil federal government appointee (1863).

3 Smith Court Residence

Henry C. Turner (1852-1919)

African American business man who, in 1890, constructed the building which is currently the site of Boston University School of Engineering.

110 Cummington Street Boarding Stable & Garage

Butler R. Wilson (1860-1939)

A founder of the Boston Branch of the NAACP, member of the national board of the NAACP, one of the original endorsers of the Niagara Movement, and the first African American member of the American Bar Association.

33 Rutland Square Residence