Commemorating Black place preservation and persistence across places and time, focusing on the creation of Black settlements and towns. OPI activities, research, and grantmaking highlight the roles culture, performance, storytelling, and heritage play in descendants' approaches to preserving, revitalizing, remembering, and protecting freedmen’s settlements (also known as Freedom Colonies, Black Settlements, Black Colonies, Black Towns, and Freedom Communities.)
Descendant community members are, for this initiative, descendants of community founders, institution builders, and early residents of historic Black settlements founded between 1865 and 1930.
The Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation is incredibly grateful that Dominion Energy has chosen to become a major sponsor of our work and our mission.
Thank you!
Mr. and Mrs. David Hahne
Serve the City-Peninsula
Mr. Amory Foster
Building Contractor
Mr. Wil Davis
Maintains the Mary Peake Family Plot at Elmerton.
Mr. Shelton Tucker
President of the Greater Aberdeen Community Coalition
We wish to extend our profound thanks to the Greater Aberdeen Community Coalition and its President, Mr. Shelton Tucker, for the donation of the Mary Peake banner to the foundation. We'd also like to extend our gratitude to Old Point National Bank for once again hosting our annual Christmas Community Board Meeting,
The foundation has commissioned a poster to commemorate this auspicious anniversary
(Click on the image to expand it).
- We're offering the poster for sale for $20 (plus shipping).
- The poster is 18 by 24 inches and printed on fine art paper stock.
- Profits from the sale will benefit the foundation's ongoing work.
On Tuesday July 9, Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation gathered at our headquarters, the Hampton home of the Virginia Federation of Colored Women's Clubs to commemorate the 100th birthday and celebrate the life of our founder and guiding light, Dr. Mary T. Christian.
Please enjoy the video of the ceremony →
We mourn the loss of Foundation Board Member, Dr. Ralph 'Butch' Heath. Dr. Heath was a consummate community developer. He was chairman of the city of Hampton Redevelopment and Housing Authority. He also served on the Board of Directors at the Y. H. Thomas Youth Center, Hampton Equal Opportunity Commission and Hampton Planning Commission. A huge loss to the community, we will miss his benevolence and wisdom in planning and preservation.
Each May — National Historic Preservation Month — Preservation Virginia releases a list of historic places across the Commonwealth facing imminent or sustained threats. The list, which has brought attention to 170 sites in Virginia, encourages individuals, organizations, and local and state governments to advocate for their preservation and find solutions that will save these unique locations for future generations. The program has a track record of success. Only 10% of the sites listed so far were lost to demolition or neglect.
Funds will be used in preservation care of historic Civil War-era cemeteries in the city of Hampton!
Funds will be used in preservation care of historic Civil War-era cemeteries in the city of Hampton!
Our Founder's legacy continues to be impactful.
The Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium at Virginia Peninsula Community College in Hampton has been rededicated as The Dr. Mary T. Christian Theatre.
Our friends at WHRO Public Media have written and published a wonderful story about our Foundation House and the open house we held on July 9 to honor our founder, Dr. Mary T. Christian, on the occasion of her birthday. Please take a few minutes out of your day to peruse and enjoy their work.
From his obituary:
On January 25, 2022 our beloved Philip Rolly Egert, 67, of Hampton, Virginia departed this life surrounded by family and loved ones after a courageous battle with cancer.
Philip held a deep passion for music as reflected in his impressive collection, and loved sailing, reading, golf, gardening, building model boats, and fine cuisine.
Arrangements are being handled by H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments, Norfolk, Virginia. The family held a private viewing. Philip will be dearly missed by all those who knew and loved him.
Video courtesy of Michael Price and MarkFive Studios
Accepting the donation from Mr. Robert Shuford, Bank President are:
Dr. Eric Claville - Foundation Board,
Dr. Angela Goodloe - Foundation Vice-President,
Mr. Erik Wilson - Foundation Board,
Dr. Colita Fairfax - Foundation President,
Mr. Robert Shuford - President, Old Point National Bank,
Mr. Lloyd Seay - Foundation Property Manager,
Mrs. Joycelyn Roache - Old Point National Bank,
Vice-Mayor Jimmy Gray, City of Hampton.
In honor of our one of our namesakes, Mrs. Mary Peake, the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation gathered at her family plot in Historic Elmerton Cemetery, Poplar Street side, at 4:00pm, Monday, February 22, 2021, for a moment of silence and reflection. Mrs. Peake died on February 22, 1862. Mrs. Peake devoted full measure to her community. She was brave when she decided to teach Black people how to read and write which defied Virginia law. She founded the Daughters of Zion, which attended to the needs of those bereft by enslavement. She was indeed someone who cared about her race and believed in self-sacrifice.
A wreath was placed at the Peake Family Plot, where Mrs. Peake’s remains are alongside her husband, Mr. Thomas Peake. Mr. Peake was a Union spy, one of the first trustees of First Baptist Church, and rose to become one of Elizabeth City County’s first Black Constitutional Officers.
Councilman Steven Brown offered a memorial prayer. The public was invited to attend.
For more information, contact Board President, Dr. Colita Fairfax at
We thank Breakthru Beverage Virginia and Mr. Bryan Goldsmith for their donation to the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation. Receiving the donation are Dr. Colita Fairfax, President; Dr. Angela Goodloe, Vice-President and Mr. Erik Wilson, Board member.
Recently, USA Today profiled "Influential Women of Virginia - Twelve women who were chosen from a list of nearly 70. Among them was our founder, Dr. Mary T. Christian. Here's their profile of her:
Throughout her career, Mary T. Christian was a champion of education, a longtime legislator and a committed community leader. Christian was the first Black person and the first woman to represent Virginia’s 92nd House District and the city of Hampton after Reconstruction. After her 1985 election, she served as delegate until her retirement in 2004. Christian was also the first Black woman elected to the Hampton City School Board.
Born and raised in Hampton, Virginia, Christian grew up as the second of five children. After high school, she earned a bachelor’s in elementary education from Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), a master’s from Columbia University and a doctorate in education from Michigan State University.
She began her career as an educator at Aberdeen Elementary School in Hampton, where she was an elementary school teacher. Christian, or “Dr. C” as her students called her, eventually served as a professor at Hampton University for more than 25 years and became dean of the School of Education.
Christian was a political activist and served as a campaign manager on four campaigns before launching her own political career. During her time in the General Assembly, Christian was a member of several committees and was one of the first Black people appointed to the House Appropriations Committee. She focused on supporting and introducing education and healthcare legislation.
After she retired from the General Assembly, Christian did not simply relax at home; she continued to organize in her community. In 2013 she co-founded the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation, an organization that aims to restore and preserve African American sites in Hampton, Virginia. In the 1990s, Christian gained support for her movement to preserve African American cemeteries. The Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation continues this work and hopes to fulfill Christian’s vision for the foundation’s future.
In Honor of our Founder, the late Dr. Mary Christian, we chose to maintain her tradition of cemetery preservation during the Memorial Day weekend.
Given COVID-19, we couldn't convene at the cemeteries on Memorial Day as we normally would, but were still able to do significant maintenance thanks to the generosity of a core group of volunteers and contributors.
The Board of Directors thanks City of Hampton School Board Member Jason Samuels and his family for conducting voluntary cleanup at Historic Elmerton Cemetery on King Street, in honor of Dr. Mary T. Christian, February 17, 2020.
On Sunday, May 20, 2018, we unveiled two new historic markers at the historic headquarters of the 1908 Virginia Federation of Colored Women's Clubs.
The event was a complete success with Mayor Tuck, Senator Mamie Locke, Delegate Jeion Ward, and U. S. Congressman Robert 'Bobby' Scott, Councilman Will Moffett in attendance. Minister Larry Gibson provided the Invocation and Blessing of the Marker.
Please enjoy the photos from the event below:
Michael A. Monteith, CEO of the Peninsula Community Foundation recently presented a $10,000 grant to Dr. Mary T Christian, representing the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation for renovation of the Educational and Cultural Center located at 123 East Pembroke Avenue, Hampton, Va.
Attending the ceremony at the Peninsula Community Foundation were Lloyd Seay, Capital Campaign Co-Chair, Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation, Ross Mugler, Capital Campaign Co-Chair, Donnie Tuck, Mayor, City of Hampton, Sandra Timmons, Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Assistant, Mike Monteith, CEO, Peninsula Community Foundation, Dr. Mary Christian, President and Co-Founder, Dr. Angela Goodloe, Program Director, Dr. Colita Fairfax, Vice-President and Co-Founder, Jack Ezzell, CEO, Zel Technologies LLC and Peninsula Community Foundation Board Member, and Jimmy Gray, Vice-Mayor, City of Hampton.
The boarded-up house at East Pembroke Avenue and Eaton Street in Hampton is the roomy dream any mom would love, especially Janie Porter Barrett.
Before Barrett died in 1948, the social reformer would likely have filled its three stories and wrap-around porch with children to teach to read. To teach them how to pray, how to hold themselves with a pride that she knew from experience they would need.
The house is quiet now, rust-streaked and dark, in need of a loving touch like Barrett’s.
Two Hampton women have formed a foundation to restore the home in the name of two historic women who lived in different eras but had the same purpose of mothering Hampton’s lost children.
Board members Richard and Nancy Moore receive the Clean City Commission award on behalf of the Foundation.
This is the second time the Foundation received this award from the City of Hampton.