NBC 10 Boston, June 2024
An incredible piece of history was recently discovered in the backyard of a Saugus, Massachusetts, resident, and the researchers who unearthed the finding are sharing its story just in time for the Juneteenth holiday. Researchers from the University of New Hampshire and Northeastern University teamed up and found the remnants of a home that once belonged to one of the first Black property owners in colonial New England. The man who once owned the home was Pompey Mansfield, but he was better known as King Pompey — an honor bestowed upon him by the Black community of that age. The remnants of his home’s foundation was found near the banks of the Saugus River.
“Everything lined up with the deeds, everything lined up with the description,” professor of anthropology at UNH Meghan Howey said. “And that foundation was there. And I thought, there’s more under that foundation.” The foundation painted a vibrant picture of who King Pompey was for both Howey and Kabria Baumgartner, professor of history and Africana studies at Northeastern.
