Researcher finds slaves quarried sandstone used to build Smithsonian Castle

Source: Washington Post

By Manuel Roig-Franzia, Dec 13, 2012 05:00 AM EST

The Washington Post Published: December 12 | Updated: Thursday, December 13, 12:00 AM

The iconic red sandstone used to build the Smithsonian Castle, one of Washington’s most recognizable buildings, was quarried by slaves, including some who were once most likely owned by Martha Washington, according to new historical research to be published Thursday.

The discovery by anthropology professor Mark Auslander adds to what has been a years-long reckoning with slavery’s role in Washington landmarks, including the Capitol and the White House, and adds nuance to the historical portrait of the Smithsonian Castle, which was built between 1847 and 1855.

Auslander, a native Washingtonian, said in an interview that the Smithsonian has been reluctant over the years to address whether slave labor might have played a part in the history of the Castle. “It’s just an area of total silence,” said Auslander, whose findings are to be unveiled in Southern Spaces, an online, peer-reviewed journal published in cooperation with Emory University’s Robert W. Woodruff Library. “The Smithsonian hasn’t gone through the truth-and-reconciliation process that a lot of institutions have gone through. But I think there’s a willingness to do so.”
....

Auslander, who teaches at Central Washington University, does not contend that slaves participated directly in the building of the Castle, beyond the hard, perilous work of quarrying the stone. In this way, the Smithsonian appears to differ from the White House and the Capitol, which were partially built by slaves.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/researcher-finds-slaves-quarried-sandstone-used-to-build-smithsonian-castle/2012/12/12/381c1762-44a5-11e2-9648-a2c323a991d6_story.html

Mark Auslander, Central Washington University

Published: 12 December 2012

Overview:
Mark Auslander examines evidence that enslaved persons were involved in the construction of the original Smithsonian Building in Washington, D.C. Many enslaved workers who labored at the Maryland quarry from which all the building’s “freestone” or sandstone blocks were obtained had roots in enslaved families owned by Martha Custis Washington at Mt. Vernon.