Judy Project/Dwelling Update: March 30, 2026

The Judy Project at Richmond Hill is named in honor of Judy, a mother and enslaved
nursemaid who was owned by the Wilkins family for four generations. She was bought
from Brunswick County, Virginia, sent to St. Mary’s, Louisiana, and then back to
Virginia. She was responsible for caring for least ten of the the Wilkins offspring, while
her own four children went lacking.

During her time in Louisiana, Judy and 53 other enslaved people were caught in a
Wilkins’ family legal battle. The majority of them were sold with the dividends split
among the surviving Wilkins offspring. From 1860-1865, Judy lived in what is now
known as the Adams-Taylor House. On April 3, 1865, when the Union Soldiers came
into Richmond (The 29th Regiment of the Connecticut Colored Troops were the first to
liberate Richmond; they were joined by the 8th , 9th 38th and 22nd infantry), Judy witnessed
their arrival into the city on Franklin Street from her vantage point at the Adams-Taylor
house. Holding one of the Wilkins offspring, Judy said, “Mary, always remember that
you saw history in the making when you were four years old.”

Research about the history of African American people on this site, now called
Richmond Hill, began in 2019 when Pam Smith arrived and became a resident of this
intentional community. She discovered that the enslaving families that occupied this
site owned at least 200 people. Her research has uncovered at least 40 names. The
Judy Project will continue to conduct research, offer educational opportunities, and
engage the community in ways which will bring attention to contemporary issues born
out of the past.

– Dr. Lauranett Lee, Director of Race and Social Justice