History Underfoot
Traces of those who came before are all around us. This spot, for example, holds clues to the life of Catherine Foster, a free black seamstress and laundress, who purchased 2 1/8-acres here, in 1833, for herself and her family.
As this "reveal" shows, there are bricks and cobblestones still below ground, not just rubble, but stones laid with purpose. To what end? These bricks and stones are part of a path leading to the Foster home. Archaelogy on this site also uncovered foundations and the basement of the Foster home, a well, a paved courtyard (possibly used for the family laundering business), and many small artifacts.
While each unearthed feature has been covered again for preservation, transparent protection over this feature allows visitors to see something of what lies underfoot and to imagine the generations of Foster who walked this ground.
Both the University and the Fosters
made paths and walkways from similar, readily available materials. Old drawings, artwork and photographs, such as the one to the far left of The Lawn, circa 1890-1895, provide proof.
Archaeology completed in 2008,
such as the work at the Foster site shown to the left, offers continuing comparison.
To learn more about the Foster family, please visit the exhibits on the first floor of Gibson Hall.
this page online
Erected by University of Virginia.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1833.
Location. 38° 1.911′ N, 78° 30.256′ W. Marker is in Charlottesville, Virginia. It is in Jefferson Park Avenue. Marker is on Jefferson Park Avenue west of Brandon Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Marker is east of Nau Hall, on the University of Virginia campus. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Charlottesville VA 22903, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Shadow Catcher (a few steps from this marker); 'Burying' Ground (within shouting distance of this marker); Fernando Símon Bolívar (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Kappa Sigma Fraternity (approx. 0.2 miles away); Claude Moore, M.D. (approx. 0.2 miles away); William Holding Echols (approx. 0.2 miles away); World War I Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Woodrow Wilson (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charlottesville.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 16, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 745 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 16, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
