HISTORY IN THE HIDDEN PLACES - Keisha McKenzie

“I might never have found Oakley Cabin, but after work one winter evening, I took a wrong turn and got lost.

As I headed west through the woods of central Maryland, I passed the last in a row of three roadside cabins where enslaved Black farm and domestic workers had once lived.

Today, the ceilings of Oakley Cabin are low enough for me to hit my head on crossbeams. The nails are exposed. The wood is rough and arson-scarred, and it doesn’t seem like there could ever have been enough breathing room for 32 people. But in 1879 on this side of the big house, thirty-two people—farm laborers, blacksmiths, cleaners, and cooks—gathered wood, clay, and stone, and made shelters for themselves and their children. Theirs are the stories of the cabin. Theirs are the stories of this state.” – Keisha McKenzie says we need to look back to be able to see where we’re going- subscribers click here to read more. If you haven’t yet joined the conversation, click here to subscribe, and join the conversation by subscribing to The Porch magazine – everyone’s welcome.