Mrs. Fannie (Pierce) Epps

In the oral history below, Mrs. Fannie Epps, along with her son Frederick Epps Jr., paints a vivid picture of life in early 20th century Williamsburg during a time when Black homes and businesses could be found throughout what is now the historic district of Colonial Williamsburg. Read this excerpt to get a flavor of the interview and listen to it in its entirety or read the transcript below.

"I was born right down here on Francis Street, and all of my children were born there. My mother and father went to that house on Francis Street when they got married...they got married in 1891...And they lived there....well then in later years, after the restoration [of Colonial Williamsburg] started...my husband and I got married then, and we built a house on Franklin Street, right across from the Franklin House...[Colonial Williamsburg] just wanted the land; they didn’t want the house, because they tore the house down, but they wanted that land and they had gotten all the other land right there in that lot.. so they wanted that too, and so instead of giving me life rights in that house, why then they gave me life rights here."