Existing comment:
Refugees, Contrabands, and Shelter at Fort Stevens:
During the Civil War, enslaved people escaped to Union fortifications for protection. Fort Stevens and nearby Camp Brightwood were no exception. African-American refugees, referred to as "contrabands" if escaping from states in rebellion, were sheltered and employed by soldiers at Camp Brightwood, and in some instances left with them when Union troops moved to other theaters in the war.
Adequate shelter, for families and individuals, is an immense problem in the District of Columbia and the Brightwood neighborhood today. The Beacon Center of the Emory Fellowship will soon be under construction, observes this legacy by providing shelter and services, as part of its core mission. |