enslaved

Formerly enslaved tradesman Peter Oliver purchased his freedom from slavery on June 13, 1800. His remarkable life and legacy are being celebrated where he last lived and raised a family, in what was then the town of Salem. A public gathering place will be built in his honor on the land he once farmed.

On June 13th, 1800, an enslaved man named Peter Oliver signed the documents for his freedom. Community leaders and Oliver descendants gathered at the site of his farm to mark the 225th anniversary of his emancipation. The celebration continues with daily events through Juneteenth.

The Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery will sit upon the same land in Winston-Salem that the 18th and 19th century formerly enslaved man once homesteaded and farmed.

The Sawtooth School for Visual Arts in Winston-Salem presents a unique learning opportunity this month. The workshop combines local history with the…