Oldfield: A Community of Enslaved and Free People on Maryland's Underground Railroad illuminates how the founding of Beverly Institute-the first community-owned school for Black children in Dorchester County-sparked a legacy that would shape future civil rights and religious leaders across the nation. Drawing on genealogy, oral history, newspapers, and primary documents, author Keesha Ha reveals close family ties to Harriet Tubman and the enduring spirit of those who built lives of purpose and dignity. Today, their descendants continue to honor that legacy by preserving Oldfield's Vaughn Chapel Church and cemetery-solemn reminders of the past and powerful symbols of faith, perseverance, and the fight for freedom.
