A Fingerprint, Glass House, and Me

by Frank A. Johnson, Jr., Menokin Descendant and Menokin Trustee

Frank A. Johnson, Jr.

I am one of many descendants from Menokin.  What I have come to understand is that Menokin’s history includes the Rappahannock Tribe, Francis “Lightfoot” Lee, and Amanda Beverly (b. 1828), my three times great-grandmother who was enslaved at Menokin.  Learning more about my identity has been rewarding! 

What about the unnamed slaves and the possible existence of their descendants?  For example, there are fingerprints in the brick work of the Glass House, suggesting that a slave made or set the brick in the structure. Symbolically, the fingerprints represent identity—inviting descendants to experience Menokin.  The fingerprints offer clear evidence that Menokin is a living, on-going blend of many histories.  In other words, preserving Menokin’s lands and structures simultaneously preserves the history of several people, especially the, yet identified, slaves and descendants—now this is a celebratory Black History moment!   

Fingerprints in the brick of the Menokin barrel vault.