Founded in 1788, The Hill is one of the oldest free African American neighborhoods in the United States still in existence today. Many African Americans in Easton and Talbot County were free from slavery long before the Civil War ended. Free people of color lived alongside white neighbors working as merchants, sailors, carpenters, midwives, and farm laborers. They worked to buy freedom for their relatives while pursuing full equality and liberty for themselves.
The lives of the free black families of The Hill Community are rich and varied, and their stories are woven into the very fabric of the town. There are the people living in the shadows of history who invested their time and their passions into building families, churches, businesses, and civic organizations. Learn the stories of these courageous African Americans on The Hill Community Walking Tour.
This early community of free African American citizens would have never been possible without the dedication of the leaders who inhabited The Hill. You may have heard of Frederick Douglass, Bishop Alexander Wayman, and Rev. Charles Pullett. But there were many others who played an important role in building The Hill. Learn the more the people who lived in The Hill Community.
Members of The Hill Community Project team had the privilege of conducting oral history interviews in 2014 with both current and former residents of the neighborhood. Listen as community members share their favorite memories of life on The Hill. Their stories will help shed light on what makes this place so special.
