Ameliah Knopp ~ Social Media Manager
The untold stories of the enslaved people who lived at Historic Sandusky will be revealed this spring through a new exhibit at the University of Lynchburg.
Junior Archeology minors at the school, Haley Sabolcik and Emma Coffey, are turning their poster for the Archeological Society of Virginia into a display to be shown in the Drysdale Student Center for the next year.
“I love being able to see a story crafted and I am able to help preserve and tell stories which excites me,” said Coffey. “Stories are the core of who we are as people… People can speak through time from centuries ago to the modern era and have their stories felt.”
Jessica Gantzert, the archeological materials laboratory director for Hurt & Proffitt (H&P), has been working on the Historic Sandusky property since 2015.
“The story that we are hoping to tell with this display is the daily lives of the enslaved people who existed in and around the kitchen,” said Gantzert. “We want to tell their story of what it looked like day-to-day for them and what role this physical space played for them and how they existed within it.”
At the heart of this display, is the intention from the curators to share the history once forgotten but equally as important- that of the generations of enslaved people who worked at Historic Sandusky and making a conscious effort to stretch beyond the story that wrote them out.
“The kitchen is really interesting because it can give a full view of history. It shows the enslaved people who lived there and also served those who lived in the house, so from one exhibit we can get a full view,” concluded Sabolcik.
If you are interested in participating, open excavations for the Sandusky Kitchen will be held on Fridays starting in April for volunteers who would like to get involved in uncovering history.
