This free program will reveal the remarkable—and complicated—history of the land on which Leisure World now sits. It will be presented by Dianne Bradley and Juanita Sealy-Williams, co-chairs of the Edmonson Historical Society. Their presentation uncovers the little known story of Paul Edmonson, a free Black man who, prior to the Civil War, built what became one of the largest Black-owned farms in Montgomery County. Despite Paul’s status as a free man, his wife Amelia remained enslaved at the time of their marriage. Under then-Maryland law, all of their children—14 survived to adulthood—were also considered the property of Amelia’s enslavers, William and Rebecca Culver of Colesville. The Culvers profited for years by “hiring out” the children to local families and businesses. You’ll be surprised by some of the subsequent twists in the Edmonson tale. Learn the whole fascinating story from these two engaging speakers.

This program, originally scheduled for Jan. 28th, will be offered via ZOOM ONLY due to the vagaries of the weather and out of an abundance of caution. You MUST register in advance for the program at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/nmMTBjKXTh2H_3uMtuD3Hg. Registration will be open until the program has ended, but we recommend registering asap. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email explaining how to join the meeting.

Questions? Email info@KensingtonHistory.org or call 240-621-2881.